Bedroom Hymns
by littlerichellemead
Summary: Rose and Dimitri are childhood friends. Unable to express their growing feelings for each other, they enter into a friends with benefits arrangement. They swear it doesn't mean anything until they can't hide it anymore. Rated M for lemons throughout, language and some violence. All human. Romitri.
1. Tip of My Tongue

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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 **Bedroom Hymns**

Chapter One: Tip of My Tongue

 ***** Ten Years Ago *****

"I don't know about this anymore, Comrade." Rose Hathaway breathes out between ardent kisses and searing caresses. She doesn't know if the deafening pounding of her heart beat in her ears is due to the nerves and desire or the tempo of the loud music playing in the lobby below her. For several days, Rose has known tonight this would happen. _This_ being the big moment in every young girl's life; the moment she would give her virginity away.

Ok, so that sounds a bit… whorish. But that is exactly what Rose is doing, giving her virginity away to Dimitri Belikov, who is not even her boyfriend. Hell, he's her best friend, besides Lissa Dragomir. But Rose is eighteen years old, about to go into college and still very much a virgin. What an embarrassment it will be to go to her first university party and announce to the guy she will be grinding against all night and drunkenly kissing that she hasn't had sex yet? He will laugh! She will be the laughing stock of University of Massachusetts Boston for however long it will take to acquire her nursing degree.

With high school graduation around the corner, Rose asked Dimitri to be her first. The proposition would have sounded preposterous had Rose and Dimitri not known each other since infancy. When Rose's parents divorced, her mother moved them as far away as possible from sunny California to Boston. Janine Hathaway and Olena Belikova, Dimitri's mother, became fast friends both being neighbors and single mothers. The friendship between Rose and Dimitri was instantaneous, and soon they were spending every waking moment together. So the awkwardness and nervousness of tonight shouldn't have been constantly nagging Rose since the moment she and Dimitri arranged to go to St. Vladimir's Senior Prom. But alas, she can't shake off that tonight is the start of something bigger, something that neither Dimitri nor Rose expect. However, Dimitri's skilled tongue running up and down her neck make her forget the protests on her lips and instead of weakly shoving him away, Rose grips the fabric of his duster pulling him closer to her.

"Relax," Dimitri murmurs against her neck before moving to her jaw where he grazes his teeth gently.

Rose gasps and the moisture between her legs increases to the point she feels her dress is completely soaked, and he can surely feel her arousal. But she is past the point of caring, past the point of feeling anxious. There are no more doubts in her mind. There are only his hands, his lips, his tongue, and all of him. Her hands tangle in his soft, shoulder length brown hair which she tugs fiercely sending shivers of pleasure to run down Dimitri's spine all the way to his twitching cock. Unable to take the teasing anymore, Dimitri shrugs off his duster, pulls Rose up in his arms by cupping her ass, which he loves to stare at most of the time, and together they stumble onto the bed. As their kissing continues, Rose tears off Dimitri's expensive white, silk shirt she bought for him for tonight. When she tosses the concealing fabric aside, she doesn't feel remorse at all. Dimitri bare chested is the most glorious sight she has ever seen. Of course she has seen him without a shirt plenty of times. Every summer he volunteers as lifeguard in the neighborhood pool. Every teen, and even middle aged women, drool after him and his toned physique that, as cliché and cheesy as it may sound, is better than anything Michelangelo could sculpt. But tonight, Dimitri's chest, and everything that is him, belongs to Rose and only Rose. The thought causes her to let out a porn worthy moan and pulls Dimitri down for another passionate kiss of lip biting and tongue dancing.

Slowly, Dimitri gathers the fabric of Rose's black dress, which nearly caused him to have a heart attack when he saw her descend the stairs earlier tonight, and lifts the fabric up, his fingers caressing her bare legs as he moves up, up, up until he pulls the dress over her head. He catches his breath at the sight of her dark, laced and sexy lingerie covering her beautiful attributes. His eyes burn with desire as his gaze roams over her body. Dimitri would be a fool if he didn't admit, at least to himself, to having feelings for this girl. How could he not? He grew up with her; he saw her change from a little girl to a young woman. Everything about her, he loves. The way she is overprotective of her mother, Lissa, Dimitri's sisters, and even him. While Rose can be feisty and break Mia's nose in a heartbeat, she is caring and gentle enough to cry every time they watch _The Notebook_. But he knows Rose doesn't see him that way. They are best friends. And this is an arrangement.

" _It doesn't mean anything,_ " Rose had shrugged when she offered her virginity to him. She had sounded so nonchalant that Dimitri found himself accepting. Not that it would take a lot to convince him because above all else he is a man of twenty with urges and desires. Besides, no sane man can refuse the beautiful and sexy Rose Hathaway.

But now, as he gazes at her big brown eyes filled with lust, anxiety, and even fear, Dimitri realizes he can't do it. He can't take something as important as her virginity from her. More importantly, he can't lie to himself or Rose that _it doesn't mean anything_ because it does. At least to him. He shakes his head and sits up on the bed already searching for his ripped shirt in the dark hotel room.

"I'm sorry, Roza." Dimitri says avoiding looking at her sprawled on the bed because if he sees her half naked, looking delectable, he might not control himself. "I can't do this. I thought I could, but…" He trails off unable to explain what he's feeling. He shouldn't explain because Rose has made it clear she has no intention of ever getting in a relationship.

" _Relationships fuck people up_ ," Rose says every time Olena Belikova asks whether Rose has a boyfriend or even girlfriend. " _I rather not get attached and let some asshole break my heart_."

Instead, Rose tends to break hearts. She is not shy by any means and has had her fair share of adventures with guys from her school. None of those adventures ever end up with sex though. Rose knows she won't give it up to just anyone. But now that she's heading to college, her virginity is becoming a hindrance, a liability, which is why she needs to get it out of the way.

Rose sighs as she crawls towards Dimitri sitting with his back to her. He has his ripped shirt in his hands turning it every which way trying to figure out how and when Rose tore it apart. He is distracted when she throws her arms around his neck pressing her lips to his neck leaving feathery kisses on his flesh causing his breathing to become uneven.

"Why not?" Rose asks as she continues to kiss and graze her teeth along his neck and jaw while her hands travel down his chest rising and falling rapidly due to her seduction. "We agreed, Comrade. I thought you understood. It doesn't mean anything."

Her words are like a bucket of ice cold water. Dimitri pushes himself up from the bed like a striking cobra. He takes to pacing the room and shaking his head.

"That's the problem, Rose." He turns his gaze on her which turns out to be a mistake because she has removed her bra and is now exposing her perfect voluptuous breasts to him. She rises to her feet gracefully. Swaying her hips sensually, she makes her way towards Dimitri. Her hands tangle in his hair as she pulls him down for a small kiss. As their lips meet, she arches her back pressing her breasts to his bare chest. The small touch causes their blood to boil, and their hands to tingle with the need to touch each other everywhere.

However, Dimitri is well known for his self-restraint which is something that sometimes drives Rose insane, for he tends to let his brain do the talking which isn't necessarily a bad thing except tonight when she wants him to just take her, to fuck her until she is hoarse, to make her first time unforgettable. As much as it pains him, literally, Dimitri pushes her gently away. He takes a few steps back and breathes deeply to cleanse his mind and reorganize his thoughts. It takes him several long seconds to reorganize his thoughts when she is in the air, the smell of lilacs, in his tongue, the taste of her lips coated with strawberry and all Roza, in his hands, the feeling of her smooth and warm skin. Eventually, Dimitri manages to get the words out.

"I really can't do this. Your first time should mean something. It should mean the world to you, Roza. And it shouldn't be done with just anyone." Dimitri goes on to ramble about a lecture Rose has heard from her mother and every P.E. teacher she has ever had. Of course she shouldn't have expected more of him.

"Cut the Zen bullshit, Dimitri." Rose sighs frustrated and picks up her bra from the floor. She turns her back to him in an attempt to hide the hurt in her face. She's not only frustrated he has ruined the night. Now she'll most likely have to ask Jesse or Ralf to take her virginity, which does not please her at all as both are assholes. What hurts Rose the most though is that Dimitri doesn't desire her like she thinks every male does. This was a mistake, Rose knows because he probably sees her as a best friend, or worst a little sister. "This was a bad idea. I get it." Her voice trembles with emotion as she forcefully picks up the dress from the floor. She clears her throat gently hating herself for how pitiful she sounds and hopes Dimitri doesn't hear it.

"Rose," Dimitri groans when he hears her voice shake. Inwardly, Dimitri curses himself to hell in his native tongue for hurting Roza. He approaches her cautiously as if she is a tiger ready to pounce or a grenade about to go off, which she might be. "I only say this because I care about you…"

"If you did, you'd do this for me!" She yells whirling around to smother him with her fury. He doesn't understand. He never will. "You don't understand…"

"Help me understand then," he steps forward and grasps her shoulders gently. His eyes seek out hers, for he knows her eyes never lie. He can read her as clearly as he can read his Western novels.

She takes a deep breath. While Dimitri knows her like the back of his hand, perhaps even better, there are certain things Rose can never confide in him. But if she wants to go through with this, she has to make him understand and see the situation for what it is. "I know you care about me, and I do too. I mean, we've been friends forever. That's why I asked you to be my first, Dimitri. You're right. I shouldn't do this with just about anyone. I have to be certain he's special, and you are special. Because no one else will care and love me like you do. And maybe doing this actually means a lot to me. Ok, it does. It would mean a lot more if you…"

She trails off and looks away already admitting defeat that Dimitri will never understand. But he does. He tears the dress from her hands, throws it somewhere in the room as he claims her with a passionate kiss, and gives in to the desire. In one swift movement, Dimitri unclasps the strapless bra Rose had managed to put on again. He drops the fabric onto the floor before pushing Rose back down on the bed. His hands seem to be everywhere at once exploring her body like no man has ever done before. When his fingers hover over her panties, Rose gasps loudly in his mouth. Dimitri stops his ministrations to look into her eyes and give her a small, reassuring smile.

"I promise I'll take care of you, always, Roza." As she nods her approval and understanding, Dimitri shreds off her panties leaving her completely exposed and bare to him. This time, he is the one to gasp loudly at the beauty lying underneath him. While Rose is beautiful in clothes, Dimitri must admit that naked, she is unbelievable. And for tonight, she belongs to him.

Aroused by the thought of having her all to himself, Dimitri lowers his mouth to hers once again devouring her lips as if he is a starving man, and she the cuisine of the gods. His lips travel down her neck as his hands continue exploring the undiscovered, the untouched. As he moves further below, Dimitri leaves feathery kisses and gentle bites upon her flesh and his tongue darts out to tease her taut nipples. Losing herself in the desire, Rose arches her back to encourage Dimitri to do more than flick his tongue up and down, side to side on her nipples. She wants him to bite, to leave marks, to make her remember for the rest of her life this first time. But Dimitri is just getting started; he moves further down to her inner thighs kissing and biting them while making sure to tease her clit with his fingers.

"Please," Rose breathes out as Dimitri seems to touch her everywhere but the burning spot between her legs. She's not completely sure what she's begging him to do: to stop his teasing or fuck her already? Honestly though, she is enjoying the foreplay too much. But if the foreplay is this gratifying, she can't even begin to imagine what the actual act will feel like.

"What do you want, Roza?" Dimitri whispers between her legs as his fingers hover over her clit. "Tell me what you want."

Rose tries not to combust at the way he says her name. While he has often called her Roza, her Russian name, at this moment, the name sounds and feels too erotic. She is unable to form a coherent response as he trusts two thick and long fingers into her. He slips his fingers out making sure to caress her walls on his way out. Suddenly, he picks up pace pushing his fingers in and out until Rose begins to tremble under him. When he feels her clenching, Dimitri replaces his fingers with his tongue; she jumps a little when his tongue makes contact with her sensitive flesh. He groans as he tastes her for the first time and realizes that he'll never have enough of her from now on.

"D-D-" Rose stutters as he continues to flick his tongue over her clit pushing closer to pure rapture. "Dimitri!" She finally shouts as her walls clench and she comes undone in his mouth. He hums and continues to fuck her with his tongue as she trembles and comes down from her orgasm.

He gives her clit one last lick before pushing himself up and claiming her lips. She can taste herself on him and for some reason that turns her on more. Shakily, her hands move from his neck, down his chest, to the hard and growing bulge in his pants. Instinctively, Rose begins to rub him over the fabric causing him to groan into her mouth and kiss her lips with more urgency and passion. Slowly, she gains confidence and slips her hands into the waist of his pants and takes a hold of him. As her hands wrap around his cock, Dimitri stops kissing her and instead looks into her eyes. He sees her innocence and desire to learn, to make this as perfect for him as he is trying to make it for her. He gives a lopsided and devilish grin before undoing his pants and in a single movement, disposing of them.

She lets out a small gasp when she finally lays eyes on him. Of course Dimitri would be gifted, she could even feel him as she rubbed him, but she never thought he'd be, well, _that big._ In fact, she swallows loudly as she considers how she will be able to accommodate him. Dimitri must see the apprehension in her eyes because he lets out a small chuckle to which Rose responds with a frown.

"Relax, Roza," he whispers between kisses to her earlobe and the spot just under it. His words and touch calm her down considerably and make her forget everything in the world. "Just relax."

"You won't break me will you?" She breathes out as he begins to rub the tip of his cock against her clit.

"No," he chuckles lightly again. "That's what the foreplay was for. To get you wet enough for me. Are you ready?"

Her eyes go all wide as she stares up at him. This is it. She is actually going through with this with her best friend. With the boy that kissed her scraped knees when she fell from that bike. With the boy that gave up his ice cream to her. With the guy that held her when she watched _The Notebook_ for the first time. With the man that has threatened to nutter Jesse Zeklos if he ever makes a sleazy move on her. With the man that has been there for her through thick and thin. What if this ruins all of that? What if her yes is the start of something she is not ready for?

But looking into his eyes, gentle brown eyes that promise her that everything is and will be alright, she believes him. She nods slowly and pulls him down to kiss his lips gently, chastely, lovingly and sweetly.

"I'll take care of you," he promises against her lips as he slowly pushes himself in. "I'll always take care of you, Roza."

As he slides in, Rose gasps loudly causing him to still inside her giving her a chance to become used to his size and intrusion.

"Are you ok?" Dimitri asks quietly worried when she continues to breathe heavily.

"I'm ok," she whispers back. "Move." She commands a little forcefully because as the pain subsides, she feels wonderful. She feels… whole.

He looks into her eyes a little while longer making sure she is ready. When he is satisfied that she is, he begins to move. Slowly at first but eventually Rose meets his thrusts with her hips which lets him know she's ready for more. Tentatively, he pushes her thighs further apart, so he has more room to move and push all the way in and hit all the right spots.

"You ok?" He asks rather nervously when she scratches his upper arms.

"Yes," She gasps, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as he continues to thrust in and out at a harder and faster pace. "This feels so good… You feel so good… So…" _Perfect,_ she finishes inwardly. It's like he belongs there with her. Like he was made for her, and she for him.

Her words rip a groan from his throat. His thoughts are exactly the same. She is so tight, so warm and delicate. She is that song he can't get out of his head; a sweet melody lingering in the tip of his tongue. She is the song of epic love, of eternal love; a love that never ends and only grows stronger. With those thoughts in his head, he looks at her writhing in pleasure under him, whispering his name under her breath, and he sees it. He sees the love he has for her; a love that will never end and will only grow. With that, he gives one last thrust and comes undone inside her. She feels him throbbing and that pushes her over the edge. Her walls clench around him eliciting a deep and muffled moan as Rose bites into the pillow.

"Dimitri?" she says as they lay in bed wrapped in each other's arms.

"Hmm?" he replies his breath against the back of her neck.

It takes her a while to gather her thoughts and put them into words out loud. She had been thinking about this since they both grew too tired to carry on with another round. The sex had been amazing, as she knew it would because, well, he was Dimitri. But as he took her closer and closer to God with every orgasm, with every thrust, every touch and kiss, she realized that she couldn't go back to not feeling him, to not tasting him, to not kissing him, to not have his arms around her again. This couldn't end. Not like this. So biting her lower lip, and bracing herself for rejection, Rose pops the question.

"Can we be friends with benefits?"

The question hangs in the room for what feels like hours. Briefly, she prays he has gone to sleep and didn't hear her, but suddenly…

"Yes." He whispers back knowing he cannot give her up now. Or ever.

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 **AN: Hello! Happy new year! I wasn't going to post this story until I had at least 3 chapters completed or in progress. However, I wanted to make sure there was enough interest in this story before I continue. This story has been sitting in my laptop since Beauty and the Beast was coming to an end two or three years ago. As far I know, this won't be a complete story like Beauty and the Beast. I have several ideas, but I am trying to get back on my good writing frame of mind before I dive into a story as big as B &B. I'll say this will be about 6 to 10 chapters (hopefully) just small enough to get me back on track (again, hopefully). Do let me know what you all think. Thank you and much love to you all!**


	2. Addicted

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Two: Addicted

 ***** _Present_ *****

Rose whistles softly to herself as she jots down some final notes from the patient she just checked on and flips the page to the next patient. She stops by the door and knocks gently yet loud enough to alert the inhabitants of her intrusion. When no protest comes from the room, not like she expected one in the middle of the night, Rose allows herself into the darkened room. She lets her eyes adjust to the darkness before making her way to the sink to wash her hands. As quietly as possible she occupies herself with disinfecting her hands and putting on her gloves. The patient sleeps profoundly with the beeping of the machine tracking his heartbeat and other vital signs as the only sound in the room. The tv, which plays some late night paid programming on mute, provides enough light for her to write down the patient's current state. Nothing has changed in Mason's condition which could be taken as both good and bad signs. Good because it means his health has not deteriorated further, and bad because it means he is also not getting better.

Rose shakes her head sadly as she holds his hand and gives a gentle squeeze. It is one of the draw backs of her profession being unable to heal patients at least the ones in bad conditions. It is exceptionally hard when she gets emotionally attached to her patients which to be honest, she always did. One of her professors used to scold her for being overly attached, but how could she not? She had feelings despite many of her friends thinking Rose could be a bitch. But she didn't choose this profession to hurt people who are already in pain. She is a nurse because she wants to help people. They came first, Rose lived by her motto. Even if it destroyed her when she lost a patient, Rose couldn't give up her career.

The pain and sorrow were worth it when her patients would recover completely, and she saw them walking out of the hospital hand in hand with their loved ones. She also got to meet interesting people. Mason Ashford, despite being in the hospital for days now, was the kindest and most hilarious person Rose had met. It was incredible how he could keep such high spirits when they were faced with the unknown. So far, the doctors hadn't been successful at figuring out what was wrong with him, but Rose knew they would figure it out eventually. No way Mason could just die. She would not allow it.

A figure stirs on the couch pulling Rose out of her deep and depressing thoughts concerning Mason's health. Rose clears her throat softly and carries on her duties as Mia sits up on the couch and stretches. Mia wraps her blanket around her shoulders and yawns widely.

"Oh," Mia sits up when her eyes finally focus on Rose checking Mason's IV. "Hey, Rose. How is he?"

Rose hides a small smile as she hears Mia address her like a civilized human being. If anyone had told Rose that one day she and Mia would get along again, Rose would have laughed until her sides hurt. Mia was never kind to her or Lissa back in high school. It's so strange how people constantly change, Rose thinks. She remembers in middle school, Lissa, Mia and Rose were inseparable until they started high school. All Mia wanted was to be popular so that meant ditching Lissa and Rose who had no interest in kissing anyone's ass. Throughout high school, it was constant bullying from Mia, who perhaps resented that Rose and Lissa didn't worship her like half the school. After graduating high school, Rose and Lissa moved closer to campus while Mia went to study fashion in New York. Years later, Mia returned married to Mason, a successful bank manager. Rose and Lissa had run into her at the grocery store. It was a bizarre encounter Rose and Lissa discussed and dissected extensively for a whole day. Mia had greeted them like old friends and flashed her enormous engagement ring and boasted of her husband. While it was totally in Mia's nature to marry a rich and successful man, Rose could hear the love in her voice when she spoke of Mason. The power of love, Rose thought, could change a person dramatically.

Not that Rose would know anything about it. She had the love of her mother and friends, but Rose had never been in a relationship. There was no time for that nonsense even if some days she wished for it when she saw her patients and their significant others. She wished to share with someone the good and the bad. But her career demanded her full attention most of the time. She worked more than twelve hours six days a week. She only had enough time to eat, sleep, and socialize, while poorly, to keep her going. In between everything, she had to squeeze time for her sessions with Dimitri. Dimitri.

The thought of him made her stomach twist into knots, and a slight moisture to build between her legs. The closest thing to a relationship she has is her arrangement with her best friend with benefits. But it couldn't be a relationship. Could it? They have been somewhat exclusive for ten years. Dimitri dated a couple of girls, but Rose knew those dates never went past second base, or so Dimitri said. Rose believed him. There was no reason for him to lie; not that she cared anyway. They weren't a couple, so why would she feel jealous if Dimitri slept with other women? In the end, their arrangement was purely physical and prohibited the emotional attachments that came with sleeping with someone. They were the closest of friends despite the mind-blowing sex. Rose confides in Dimitri fully, and he confides in her in return. Nothing could ruin their relationship, Rose knows. However, sometimes she found herself staring at him wondering what it would be like to be officially exclusive and go out on a date. But she has never dared bring up the subject. If it ain't broken, why fix it? Right?  
"Rose?" Mia calls her name softly as to not wake Mason though there's some panic in her voice at the lack of response from Rose. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," Rose shakes her head and jots some final notes down. "I mean, no change so that's good news in a way. He's still steady and stable. I'll bring the doctor so see him soon. Perhaps this is it and the new medicine is working."

Mia sighs relieved and looks adoringly at Mason. "That would be great. I hope I can take him home soon," she runs her fingers through Mason's red hair.

"Soon," Rose holds her hand out for Mia to hold. "You will see. He will be just fine."

They smile at each other. Yes, the power of love, is still on Rose's mind as she makes her way out of Mason's room. Sometimes she still can't believe how much Mia has changed. With a deep and almost melancholic sigh, Rose continues her rounds.

Once done checking on her patients, Rose checks her watch. It's almost five in the morning. If everything remains calm and quiet, she might go home and catch some sleep before she must come back at one in the afternoon for her next shift. Stifling a yawn, Rose makes her way to the nurse's station where Sydney sits typing away on her phone and smiling.

"Is he checking up on you?" Rose asks her friend. "That's unusual. He hardly ever bothers you while working. He must be missing you."

Sydney clears her throat and puts her phone face down. "I guess. He invited me to a party. That was all."

"Oh," Rose gasps. "A public outing! Things are getting serious. About time. The asshole better get a move on before Eddie tries something again."

"Come on, Rose," Sydney waves her hand dismissing Rose's thought. "We both know Eddie. He's a good guy, but not dating material. Not while he's dating his career."

"Are you serious?" Rose chuckles and motions around her. "We're dating our careers as well. We spend more time here than at home. I think you two could make it work. Eddie is super dedicated to his work, yes, but imagine how dedicated he'll be to you?"

"If you think so, why don't you go for it?" Sydney responds hiding her smile already knowing why Rose won't give Eddie a chance or any guy for that matter.

"We're not talking about me," Rose replies hotly as a slow blush creeps up her cheeks. "We're talking about you and that coward who hasn't even dared introduce you to his friends."

"I met his family," Sydney replies shyly. "They were very…"

"Judgmental for what you told me," Rose scoffs. "How dare they say your profession is not as important as his. What does he do again?"

"Stuff," Sydney replies vaguely looking through files trying to busy herself and avoid the subject of her mystery man.

"I'm just saying, Sydney," Rose sighs knowing when to let the subject go. When it comes to Sydney, Rose knows better than to push her. "He could have the decency long ago to have made it public and official. You deserve the world."

"Thanks, Rose," Sydney gives her a genuine and happy smile. "But I know what I got myself into. I promise."

"Okay," Rose nods accepting that Sydney can take care of herself. "If you say so, I believe you."

Rose and Sydney met in college during orientation for the nursing program. They didn't hit it off immediately. Rose was like a tornado eager to learn and be the best nurse, but also excited to attend all the parties. Soon enough, Rose realized nursing required more of her time and she had to keep the frat parties to a minimum or whenever Lissa coerced her to go out. On the other hand, and from the beginning, Sydney was reserved but quite brilliant. Together they made a great team. Sydney helped Rose whenever she needed help with assignments, and Rose helped Sydney get out of her shell a little. Sydney always felt grateful to Rose for helping her be more outgoing. Often, she says she would have never gotten her mystery man without Rose's help. Her cellphone vibrating in her pocket pulls Rose out of her reverie. One single glance at the caller ID and Rose groans already annoyed at the caller.

"Syd," Rose sighs putting her cellphone back in her pocket. "You mind if I take a quick break?"

"Is that your Russian God?" Sydney smiles suggestively.

"One time," Rose throws Sydney a paper clip. "I call him Russian God one time while _drunk_ , and you and Lissa will not let me forget it. But no. It's not him."

Without waiting for a response, Rose makes her way out of the hospital. Distracted by her phone constantly vibrating, Rose collides with someone coming the opposite direction. The hardness of whatever she collided with makes her think it's a wall. But as she stumbles back a warm and familiar hand catches her by the elbow and steadies her.

"Watch it, Comrade," Rose chastises gently.

Dimitri chuckles softly. "You collided with me, Roza," he responds still not letting go of her elbow. "Your nose was buried in your phone. I keep telling you, social media will destroy this country."

"Yeah, yeah, old man no one wants to hear it." Rose rolls her eyes before finally looking at him.

He is tall a whole foot keeping him and Rose apart. He's wearing his duster over a black shirt, and now Rose understands why he feels hard because of his bulletproof vest. Granted, Dimitri is muscular. He has been working out since he was sixteen. Though he always said it was to keep him occupied, Rose knew he wanted to be strong enough to take on his dad if he decided to return and hurt his family. One of the reasons Rose loves and admires him. It is also another reason why they had become friends right away. Rose and Dimitri are so similar looking out for those who can't protect themselves. They are fiercely loyal to their loved ones. However, his profession came with many dangers. Every time Rose is paged to Emergency, she prays she won't find Dimitri on a stretcher, shot. But she knows he wouldn't it any other way. He is doing what he loves despite the dangers and stress. Even know, Rose can tell he woke up a while ago, but the amusement of their banter didn't quite reach his eyes and his smile is tight.

"What's wrong, Dimitri?" Rose instinctively moves closer to him. She places her hands on his forearms. "Are your sisters alright? Olena?"

"They are fine," Dimitri smiles grateful for how much Rose loves his family. "Nothing is wrong, Rose." He sighs and runs his hands through his long hair and decides to tell her.

She's his best friend there's nothing he can keep from her. Well, he has been keeping his feelings a secret for a long time now. It's amazing how she has remained oblivious to the fact that he loves her beyond a best friend with benefits. Their arrangement came to be ten years ago after he became her first lover, and he has considered many times ending it if not for his sake, for hers. She hasn't ever been in a serious relationship, and he refuses to take that experience from her because she may feel trapped in their arrangement. But he knows at the end of the day, he cannot give her up. He can't even think of her with someone else doing all the things they do in the bedroom or even worse someone who might earn her love. Rose has dated a couple of guys, but she always calls Dimitri to tell him about the disastrous date. Dimitri pushes those thoughts aside. He can't fathom life without her, so for as long as she wants him, he'll remain as her lover.

"I'm just stressed. My boss wants us to catch the song of a bitch abducting college girls," Dimitri pulls away from Rose and walks towards a nearby bench. "He's been taking them at night stalking them like prey as they leave clubs. Most of his targets are intoxicated, but he's escalating getting more confident and comfortable in his activities."

"I heard about him on the news," Rose sits next to him and places her hand on his shoulder squeezing hard to provide support and in anger. "He's a piece of shit taking innocent girls. Have you found any clues as to who this fucker is?"

"We have some leads. Eddie and I are going to check it out today. I just wanted to see you in case…"

"Shut up," Rose looks away from him and closes her eyes unable to look at him; he'll see the weakness on her face. She can't be weak in front of him not when he needs her the most. He needs her strong to carry out his duties. After a deep breath and with fire in her eyes she turns back to him. She grabs his face with both her hands and looks into his eyes. "You and Eddie got this. Do you hear me? You will catch the son of a bitch, and you and I will go out to celebrate."

Dimitri chuckles and grabs her right hand. He kisses her knuckles. "Thank you."

"For what?" Rose gasps at the feeling of his lips on her hand. Suddenly, she feels warm all over, and she curses herself inwardly. He can probably see her blushing with desire.

"For always being there for me," he takes her hand in both of his and looks down at their entwined hands. In his career, he has had people point guns at him, and he doesn't even flinch. But telling Rose exactly how he feels makes his legs shake. He couldn't stand if she was to reject him.

"I'll always take care of you," Rose says echoing the words Dimitri has repeated over the years. "Remember?"

"I remember. Anyway, where were you going in such a hurry?" Dimitri changes the subject quickly remembering perfectly clear the many times he said those words to her. The first time being when he took her virginity.

"Oh," Rose clicks her tongue annoyed as she remembers who kept blowing up her phone. Oddly enough since running into Dimitri, she's been able to tune out the insistent vibrating of her cell. Pulling it out of her pocket, she realizes she has six missed calls, one voicemail, and two texts from the same person. "It's _him_. The old man. I guess he's checking in."

"You should talk to him," Dimitri says squeezing her knee. "He's your…"

"Don't say it, Dimitri," Rose gets up from the bench abruptly and shoves her phone in her pocket again. "I haven't seen him in over four years. Calling on my birthday and holidays doesn't make him a parent."

"He paid for college," Dimitri remains seated letting Rose pace back and forth in front of him. "At least thank him."

Rose snorts. "Thank him for donating to my college fund? No way. I could have done it on my own."

Dimitri sighs and stands up. He grabs her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "Stop being so stubborn. Perhaps he hasn't been the best father in the world, but he has tried. He came to your college graduation even if you didn't invite him. You ignored him. That's not very encouraging."

"Can we not do this right now?" Rose throws her head back and groans. "I'm just not in the mood for talking about the old man."

"Fine," Dimitri lets go of her and checks his watch. "I should get going. I told Eddie I'd pick up some donuts on my way."

Rose chuckles. "How cliché. Donuts for law enforcement. But you should have gone before coming here. You could have brought me some."

Dimitri curses quietly in Russian. "I'm sorry, Roza. It completely slipped my mind." And it had. He had been focused on just getting to the hospital to see her briefly before heading to work. He needed to gaze into her eyes, commit her smell to memory, and feel her skin just in case.

"It's okay. I might go home soon," she smiles mischievously as she grips his shirt and pulls him close. "You owe me though."

Her smile and proximity makes Dimitri's breathing labored, and his cock to twitch expectantly. They haven't had sex in two days, and he is already craving having her wrapped around him.

"How can I make it up to you, Roza?" Dimitri whispers placing his hands on her waist and pressing her against the growing bulge in his pants.

Rose bites her lip and looks around. The hospital is desolate. Visitor hours don't start until eight in the morning, and the staff is busy catching up on paperwork. It would be more ideal to wait until they can go home and fuck all over Rose's apartment since Lissa is away in Bulgaria meeting Christian's family. But she probably won't see Dimitri until the charity event at the station until tomorrow night. She can't wait that long not when she can feel he's as ready as she is. Her eyes linger in one of the cleaning storage rooms. The staff keeps the storage rooms locked because they keep very strong chemicals, but Rose has keys to almost everything in the hospital. One of the perks of being the hospital director's favorite.

"I have an idea," Rose grabs his hands and looks around before pulling him towards the storage room. With no one in sight or paying enough attention to the two, Rose uses her keys to unlock the storage room. She pushes Dimitri inside first. With a soft click, the door closes behind her. She looks around the darkened room and finds a switch. "Let there be light." She giggles.

"Naughty, Roza," Dimitri chuckles pulling her close to him once again. "What should I do with you?"

"Everything," Rose whispers breathless and her eyes glued to his sensual lips. "Everything and anything you want, Comrade."

"As you command," he says before claiming her lips.

He kisses her fervently his teeth grazing her lower lip elicits a moan from Rose who is already working on taking of his duster. The fabric falls heavily and noisily on the ground as they continue to kiss moving deeper into the small and cramped storage room. They knock a couple of things over in the attempt to remove their clothes all without breaking the kiss. When they get to removing each other's shirts, they stop to breathe and take each other in. Despite having been intimate countless times, Rose can never get enough of his physique. His muscled arms, his rock-hard abs, and his endowed cock. She licks her lips hungry to taste him, to take him deep into her mouth hard and fast. As if reading her mind, Dimitri shakes his head.

"No, Roza," his hands cup her breasts as he kisses his way down her neck. "This is about me making it up to you." He says between kisses to her flesh. He takes her right taut nipple in his mouth sucking gently then running his tongue over it as his hand works on the other pulling and pinching on the sensitive flesh.

Rose moans letting her hands bury into his soft long hair. She lets out a groan of disappointment when he leaves her breasts and continues his journey down her stomach kissing and biting giving her goosebumps from head to toe. When he reaches her entrance, he pauses and looks up at her. His fingers gently caress her sweet spot and explore her wetness. Dimitri watches in awe and desire as Rose throws her head back her hands playing with the nipples pulling and pinching as he had done a few minutes ago. He easily slips two fingers inside, and he curses in Russian. She is soaking with desire for him and only him. With that arousing thought, Dimitri pulls her clit into his mouth and sucks slowly at first reveling in the feeling of his fingers coated in her juices. His tongue flicks over her clit making her moan louder and louder until her thighs shake and her breathing is strained. He flicks his tongue faster and pumps his fingers with wild abandon until her breath catches and her body shakes with her orgasm.

"How is that for making it up to you?" Dimitri grins and licks his fingers coated with her essence.

"It's a start," Rose responds trying to catch her breath.

Dimitri arches an eye brow at her. "Of course, we're only getting started, Rose."

He spins her around roughly. With her back to him, he pulls her arms back holding her in place standing up straight. With one hand, he guides himself to her entrance and slowly pushes inside. Dimitri throws his head back and groans feeling her all wrapped tightly around him.

"Fuck, Roza," He bites her shoulder. "You're fucking amazing."

Before Rose can respond, Dimitri begins to move. He begins slow, pacing himself and enjoying the sounds coming from her lips. He can't give this up. She's the drug, and he's the addict. As selfish as he may be, he'll never stop this arrangement. He'll carry on until she doesn't want him anymore, and even then, he's not sure he won't beg for her to stay. Because it's not just how amazing it feels to be inside her, to feel her wetness coating his cock, to hear the musical slapping of their bodies against each other, or her magnificent moans that make him want to come undone right away. No. It's that he loves her more than his own morals. Rose belongs to him, and he belongs to her. He just has to find a way to make her see reason. He will make her see reason. They were made for each other. They belong together.

"Dimitri," Rose moans. "I can't…"

"You can't?" He lets go of one arm and grabs her chin with his hand. "Can't what, Roza? Can't stand it anymore? Do you want to cum for me?"

"Yes," she reaches to her clit with her now free hand and begins to stroke it. "Please."

He knows he could make her wait and beg for longer, but the sight of her touching herself is too beautiful to mess with. He lets her keep rubbing her sweet clit as he picks up the pace, thrusting into her faster, harder and as deeper as this position allows him. Not long after, he feels her walls clench around him.

"Fuck!" She shouts throwing her head back. "Dimitri…" She says his name over and over as she rides out her orgasm.

Their bodies are covered in sweat and the force of the orgasm leave Rose weak, but Dimitri doesn't stop. He pulls her arms back once more to hold her up. He keeps thrusting into her and looks down at his cock going in and out of her glistening with her juice. And that's all he needs.

"Roza," Dimitri grunts as he fills her up.

Once dressed, Rose feels significantly more cheerful. Despite the old man calling her incessantly, and the grim news of the criminal taking girls at large, Dimitri's visit was exactly what she needed. Not only because of the sex. It is fantastic sex, but she enjoys the comfort and calm he brings to her. They kiss chastely before parting ways.

"Promise to call me as soon as you can," Rose says as she rests her head on his chest.

"I will, Roza," he kisses the top of her head. "Like you said, we got this."

"I know," she looks up at him biting her lower lip. "I still worry. You're my best friend. I don't know what I would do without you."

Dimitri doesn't let the hurt her words bring show on his face. He promised to be anything she wanted. "I know. I'll be ok, Rose. I have to go."

"Okay," she gives him one last kiss and opens the storage room door. She pokes her head out verifying the coast is clear before letting Dimitri out first. She closes the door behind him and sits on the hard ground.

She sits for a few minutes in the dim light of the cramped storage room. Though a couple things were knocked over and the lingering smell of sex, no one will know what happened here. Rose puts her hands over her face and begins to cry. She cries because she's exhausted. She loves her career, but she wishes it wasn't so demanding, or that when she has the day off that she could sleep. But worry is constantly on her mind. Worry for her patients and for Dimitri. Because everyday he risks his life and if something were to happen to him, she will surely fall apart. No matter how hard she tried to keep her feelings out of their arrangement, she fell in love with her best friend. There was no way back now. She is in too deep. She isn't just addicted to him and the things he does to her body. She is in love.

"Fuck," she takes a deep breath. "Get it together, Rose. This is what you wanted; this is what you get."

Staring at the wall where Dimitri just fucked her, she ponders her options. She has many but none of which she likes. They could end their arrangement and hope it didn't ruin their friendship. Hopefully they can still function like they did before she started this. Or she could make a move and tell him how she feels. There's no way he'd go for it. He's too invested in his career as is she. They can't have a real relationship when they hardly see each other. It would fall apart, and she will not risk their friendship. Besides, she won't set herself up for heartbreak. Once he sees how damaged she is, he'll leave her heartbroken. Maybe she could carry on until he decides he doesn't want this anymore. Dimitri has always talked about a family. Her heart skips a beat at the thought of Dimitri married and with children.

"Fuck," Rose repeats rubbing her eyes. "What have I gotten myself into?"

There is no point lamenting anymore Rose knows it's too late to change anything. However, she knows she must do something, or she'll get hurt or worse damage her relationship with Dimitri beyond repair. If only Lissa was here, she would know what to say. She could give Rose the bravery to be upfront with Dimitri and tell him how she really feels. Or maybe Lissa would say it's all a mistake, and Rose needs to end it now. But Rose can't bring herself to call Lissa. At the end of the day, it's up to Rose what she wants to do. Pulling her phone out and her mind made up, Rose sends a text message to Dimitri.

" _We need to talk soon. Nothing wrong. Come by my place for breakfast tomorrow. Be careful. Love you._ " She sends the text quickly before changing her mind. No matter what happens, their friendship must survive.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks for all the reviewed, favorite, and followed. It means a lot. Quick warning, I'm about to replace chapter one as it was brought to my attention I cannot have song lyrics on this site. So if you receive a notification or anything like that about chapter one, please disregard. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Mine

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Mine

Dimitri lowers himself heavily onto his chair dropping the box of donuts for Eddie on his desk. Dimitri sighs and rubs his face already exhausted despite having his whole day ahead of him. He knows it's not sex that has drained his energy. If anything, he feels ready to take on the world, but mentally he's exhausted. Since leaving Rose, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her or how he's going to explain to her that despite his better judgement he fell in love with her, that he has been in love with her for a long time now. How does he explain to someone who doesn't believe in love, in relationships, that they're meant for each other? Surely, making Rose see reason will not be an easy task, but Dimitri is patient, and he will wait for her to come around. Unless she decides she never wants to see him again. No. Not even then. He won't give up on her.

"Did you bring them?" Eddie pokes his head into Dimitri's office startling him out of his deep thoughts. "Sorry. I knocked but you didn't…"

"Come in, Eddie," Dimitri shakes his head and motions to the box of donuts waiting on his desk. "As promised."

"Oh," Eddie rubs his hands together excitedly as he rushes forward. "You are the bomb."

"Yeah, yeah," Dimitri's mouth twitches with an amused smile. "Now what was so important that you couldn't pick up your own donuts?"

"Forensics has a partial fingerprint," Eddie says biting down on a chocolate glazed donut. "They weren't going to tell us, but you know Angeline has a thing for me…"

"Eddie," Dimitri leans forward anxious to catch the son of a bitch once and for all. "Focus."

Dimitri was the first to volunteer to take the case when he heard of the first victim on the news. The girl was Viktoria's age, and Dimitri couldn't help drawing parallels to his sisters. He couldn't allow a monster to roam the city not only because it was his career to catch criminals, but because the thought of that man going after his sisters or Rose was too much to bear. But so far, Dimitri hadn't been able to catch a witness or a glimpse of the monster. He is smart, Dimitri will give him that, targeting intoxicated girls, who by the time the police arrived to question them, they can't recall anything. As for evidence found in the victims recovered so far, there is nothing conclusive. The man uses condoms each time he assaults a victim and gloves when choking them to death. He is cunning and careful. Until now. The partial fingerprint, and the anonymous call Dimitri received a couple days ago about a possible witness could mean everything to catching the monster, or nothing at all.

"Right," Eddie finishes off his donut and pulls out a flash drive from his pocket. "As I said, they weren't going to tell us until we came back from meeting with anonymous."

"Who is they?" Dimitri interrupts as he plugs in the flash drive into his computer.

"Tasha and forensics," Eddie responds grabbing another donut.

"Why would Tasha hide this?" Dimitri muses as he clicks files open.

Eddie shrugs. "Angeline says it's because Tasha wants to take the case from you."

"She's our boss," Dimitri frowns staring at Eddie lick his fingers. "She gave me the case."

"Alto gave you the case; she had to comply he's the mayor's right-hand man. The mayor knows how good you are. If anyone is going to catch the bastard, it's you." Eddie says confidently.

" _We_ are going to catch this son of a bitch," Dimitri turns back to the screen. "Well, let's run it through the database. Hopefully we'll have hit when we come back from meeting anonymous. Are you ready?"

Eddie drops the donut he had reached for and stands up abruptly. "Ready when you are, boss."

Dimitri chuckles at his young partner's eagerness. Eddie is the youngest to become a full-fledged detective. He likes to credit his success to Dimitri, who mentored him for many years. Of course, Dimitri dismisses such praise claiming he simply saw potential and commitment in Eddie. Regardless, together they are unstoppable. They ride in silence to the meeting place arranged by anonymous. Usually, they have more control in the situation, but anonymous refused to speak to the detectives if anyone else became involved. So, Dimitri threw protocol out the window, and accepted to meet their witness on his own terms. Eddie rubs his sweaty palms on his legs and breathes in deeply as they sit on the bench waiting for anonymous to show up.

"Relax," Dimitri whispers as he scans the park. It's early enough that there's not many people out and about, which could be good and bad. Good in case things go south there won't be casualties. Bad in case they do go south no witnesses. But Dimitri can't think like that. He tries to stay calm and positive that this meeting will help them in catching a criminal.

The sun is high in the clear sky. Dimitri can hear the water peacefully hitting the shore as well as birds chirping in nearby trees. A woman runs past them with headphones in her ears, and a couple walk leisurely nodding at the them as their dog sniffs Dimitri curiously. As Dimitri pets the dog one last time, he catches a figure moving closer to them. The man is almost as tall as Dimitri and with blond tousled hair. The man stops several feet away from Eddie and Dimitri. He stands under a shady, thick tree and takes out a cigarette lighting it. Dimitri sees their signal and rises from his seat. Eddie stays sitting down. Their plan was for him to remain alert scanning the area for accomplices or anything awry.

"Dimitri," Dimitri introduces himself plainly when he stands next to the man.

"Nice to meet you, detective Belikov," the man responds blowing out smoke. "Detective Castile won't be joining us?"

"We don't have time for games," Dimitri responds stiffly. "Do you or do you not have something for me?"

"That depends," the man replies dropping his cigarette onto the ground and stomping it. "Do you have something for me?"

Dimitri pulls out an envelope. "Half is here," he gives the man the envelope. "The other half when my partner and I decide if your information is substantial. Now speak."

"Forgive me," the man chuckles as he pulls out the money from the envelope. "I don't trust cops. I gotta…"

The man doesn't finish his sentence. Dimitri hears it first; a gunshot. The man falls over gripping his shoulder as the blood comes rushing out. Eddie drops to the ground as the park goers and several people on nearby streets scream. Detective Castile pulls out his gun from its holster and scans the area. He sees Dimitri taking cover behind the tree, and their witness on the ground still gripping his wound. More bullets begin raining on them as Eddie rushes to Dimitri, who is helping the man add pressure to his wound. The last thing they want is for their only witness to die.

"What the hell?" Eddie gasps out as too takes cover behind the thick tree. "You think it's him?"

"Possibly," Dimitri replies poking his head from behind the tree. "There. Top of the castle. I'm going to pursue. Call for back up and an ambulance. Do not let _him_ get away."

"I'll cover you," Eddie nods sharply. "Be careful, Dimitri."

"Always am," is the last thing Dimitri says before jumping from behind the tree with his gun in his hand.

* * *

"That was a long break," Sydney comments when Rose finally makes her way back to the nurse's station. "Not that you don't deserve it."

Rose shrugs as she drags her feet. The long shift and the fabulous sex with Dimitri are finally catching up to Rose, and she is exhausted. If given the chance, Rose could finally sleep until next week. She lowers herself gently onto her chair behind the desk and grimaces as her back and arms resent the beating they are taking today. From under the desk, where she keeps her purse, Rose pulls out a bottle of water and drinks greedily.

"Are you okay, Rose?" Sydney asks concerned for her friend. Upon further inspection, Sydney notices Rose's eyes are red, and her hair is in disarray.

"I'm fine. Exhausted though. I actually can't wait for my day off this time." Rose chuckles trying to pull herself together and act as normal as possible. The last thing she wants is Sydney to pry her for details.

Lissa and Sydney have known for a long time of Rose's arrangement with Dimitri. The girls were first impressed with Rose's choice. They could tell why Rose called him her Russian God. Sydney, however, was more skeptical than Lissa and Rose; she couldn't imagine how someone could keep an intimate relationship and not develop feelings especially considering how close Rose and Dimitri were to begin with. Sydney has tried to convince her to have a normal relationship with Dimitri, but Rose is stubborn.

"I know," Sydney responds enthusiastically. "I have to go shopping for a dress tomorrow morning. I have nothing to wear."

"I wish I could come with you," Rose says leaning back on her chair and putting her feet up on her desk, once again grimacing at her tense muscles. She must go back to the gym and soon or she won't be able to keep up with Dimitri.

"Wow," Sydney whistles. "That break was more exhausting than helpful, huh?"

Rose sighs. There's no point in hiding it from Sydney. She's too observant. "If you must know, I ran into Dimitri."

"Oh," Sydney frowns then understanding dawns on her. " _Oh_! In the hospital, Rose?"

"Hey," Rose puts her index finger to her lips. "Not here."

"Are you serious?" Sydney chuckles then whispers. "You can have sex but can't talk about it here?"

Before Rose can snap back, Mia comes shouting for help from down the hall. Rose springs into action and grabs her beeper from out of her pocket sending a message to the doctor requiring his assistance. Sydney is hot on Rose's heels as they both burst into the room putting their gloves on as they assess the situation. Mia is in hysterics and the heart monitor is going haywire. While Sydney tries to calm Mia, and figure out what happened, Rose gets to work on stabilizing Mason.

"He's having a seizure," Rose shouts at Sydney. "His blood pressure is low. I need Doctor Ivashkov."

"I'm here," Adrian responds hurrying to Mason's side and confirming for himself that his blood pressure is extremely low. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Rose responds feeling helpless; her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I checked on him a while ago. Everything was normal since you gave him the new medicine."

"Okay. Let's get him stable then figure out what went wrong. I thought he was responding well…" Adrian whispers the last part.

"I know," Rose takes a deep breath.

"Give me ten milligrams of orvaten," Adrian commands Rose.

The next few minutes, Rose and Adrian work on stabilizing Mason all the while Sydney holds Mia crying in a corner and whispering everything will be all right. If anyone can save Mason, it's Adrian and Rose. Adrian and Rose have been named the dream team by a couple of nurses. Being so young, Adrian feels he needs to prove himself a good doctor. There are days when he panics and doesn't know what he's doing, but Rose is a damn good nurse, and could be a doctor if she wanted, always there to help him. When Adrian fails to see something, he can count on Rose to see it and vice versa.

"I think I know what's causing this," Rose whispers to Adrian once Mason is stable. Sydney continues to reassure Mia while Rose and Adrian converse outside the room. "He came to the hospital after going into anaphylaxis shock. We assumed it was an allergy, but he developed skin lesions and progressively got worse. His lungs are infected, his bone density has decreased, and low blood pressure accompanied by seizures? It has to be mastocytosis."

Adrian frowns and stares pensively at Rose processing her diagnosis. While this is hardly the time, Rose appreciates the beauty of the young doctor. With his emerald eyes and super model features, how can she ignore him? Sometimes she wonders if he flirts with her or is simply friendly. Since she started at the hospital, Adrian took to calling her his Little Nurse as a term of endearment, and she's caught him staring in her direction. It would be egotistical of Rose to assume he stares at her but who else? Throughout her life, Rose has been complimented in her almost exotic features courtesy of her Turkish father. But the doctor has never actually made a move on her. Perhaps it is time she does. It's the 21st century after all.

"I think you are onto something, Rose," Adrian responds as he pushes a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "I will order a biopsy." He stares at her once again deep in thought then pulls her farther away from eavesdroppers. "Are you okay, Little Nurse?"

"Yes," she says breathless and caught off guard by his interest and sudden touch. "I'm fine, Adrian."

"You don't look so," he rubs her shoulders comfortingly. "Go home. You have been here for sixteen hours. I admire your dedication and love for your patients, but you must take care of yourself too. Otherwise who will save the world?" He chuckles.

"But Mason…"

"I will speak to his wife, order the tests, and call you if anything changes. Don't come back until," he looks at his watch. "Five in the afternoon. I will cover your shift until then. That should give you enough time for some shut eye and a meal."

"Thanks, Adrian," Rose gives him one of her genuine and grateful smiles. "I will see you later then."

"I'll be here," he replies cheerfully giving her arms a gentle squeeze. With that, he turns around and walks back into the room.

Against her better judgement, Rose grabs her stuff and heads home. At home, she debates whether to go to bed or shower first. Despite being extremely tired, she must clean herself up first. After sex smell, though her favorite, she must wash, or she will get an infection. Rose moans both in pain and bliss when the hot water hits her skin. As she cleans up, her thoughts roam. She reminisces on Dimitri and how their relationship came about. Once again, she berates herself for being so foolish. She has made him waste so much time on something that has no future. She doesn't regret giving him her virginity; no one else could have taken care of her like he did. But Rose knows she should have let him go long ago to find the family he wants. Rose can't give him that; she doesn't even know what she wants. She knows she won't be good in a relationship. Because she has never been in one and doesn't have any role models besides Lissa and Christian, Rose wouldn't know where to begin.

The last thing Rose wants is to damage her friendship with Dimitri. Perhaps she should date more. Figure out the world before she jumps into anything serious with Dimitri, or anyone else. No. There's no one else she would want except… Doctor Ivashkov pops into her head once again. Rose shakes her head and turns the water off. There's no time in her life for long term relationship unless it's a relationship with her bed. She looks longingly at her bed. In the end, Rose decides to eat something light first.

As she prepares a bowl of cereal, she scrolls through her messages. She frowns realizing Dimitri hasn't even read her message. After sending it, Rose didn't think much about the lack of response. Dimitri did say he was following a lead. But he hasn't even looked at it? No. Rose can't think something has gone wrong. She pushes her cereal around and bites her lip. With a groan, she turns on her tv and scrolls through the guide looking for the news channel. What she sees makes her heart sink.

Rose pulls her wet hair up into a messy bun as she bursts through emergency wearing her scrubs. Her eyes scan the room people moving around hectically. Not seeing a single familiar face, she heads straight to the nurses' station to search Dimitri's room number.

"Please be okay," Rose whispers. "Please be okay. Dimitri."

"Roza?" Dimitri calls her name from across the room.

Rose looks up from the computer and sees Dimitri with blood on his hands. "Oh my God," Rose gasps tears welling in her eyes as she meets Dimitri halfway. She inspects him searching for the source of the blood. When she sees no injuries, she assumes it must be someone else's blood. "Oh my God. You're okay."

"Shh, Roza," Dimitri kisses her wet hair. "Yes, I'm fine."

"I thought," Rose whimpers hugging him tightly. "I thought something had happened to you. I saw the news. They said a shooting at Castle Island Park left one dead and several injured. Every time I hear news of a shooting, I just think about you."

"I know," Dimitri hugs her tight and buries his nose in her hair inhaling the scent of her shampoo, strawberry and mint. "But I'm fine. Eddie's fine too. The shooter however caught one of my bullets. He's dead."

"Was he the killer?" Rose asks wiping her nose with her sleeve.

"We don't know yet," Dimitri sighs and pulls Rose towards a nearby bench. "We're waiting for the autopsy and a partial fingerprint to give us some results. It might take a while, but we have a witness. We'll speak to him once he's treated. Can you…"

"Sure," Rose wipes her face with her hands and goes into nurse mode. "I'll look at him. Where is he?"

Dimitri smiles wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "You amaze me," he whispers.

Blushing, Rose rolls her eyes and stands up unable to handle when Dimitri looks at her like that. Sometimes she wonders if he feels something more than platonic love for her. "Come on. Let's take care of your witness."

Dimitri takes her to a nearby room where a man rests on a bed with one of his hands handcuffed to its railing.

"About time," the man groans and turns to face Rose and Dimitri. "Well, _hellooo_ nurse." The man whistles. "You're here to make me feel good, huh?"

"Mind your tongue," Dimitri growls as his hands reach out protectively to Rose.

"I got it, Comrade," Rose sighs. "Nothing new. He should know though that I can do this without anesthesia if he keeps it up."

By the window is Eddie talking to someone on the phone. Rose begins to prepare for the procedure while Dimitri remains close to her as if afraid the man will try something. Rose says nothing else. While she is used to catcalling, she can't help the way the man's words made her feel uneasy and her skin to crawl. Eddie hangs up the phone soon after and approaches Dimitri.

"That was the station," Eddie begins quietly. "Tasha wants to see us. Now."

"We can't leave," Dimitri motions to the man still handcuffed to the bed and to Rose moving towards the patient. "We have our own situation here. Tasha can wait."

"No, she's really pissed, Dimitri," Eddie hesitates. "I think she said something about taking our badges for going behind her back."

"She's only pissed we found out about the partial," Dimitri sighs but knows he must go. Despite Tasha being a bitch, she is still his boss. "Will you be okay, Rose?"

She nods. "I'll make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

"I'll send an officer to stand guard until he's fit to make a trip to the station," Dimitri picks up his duster from a nearby chair. "Thanks, Roza. I owe you big time. I'll make breakfast tomorrow."

"Done," Rose smiles and walks towards him. He bends down pressing his forehead against her. "I'm really glad you're okay."

"Me too," Dimitri replies quietly.

"I'm okay, too. In case you were worried." Eddie chimes in awkwardly from the door.

"I'm not," the man replies from the bed. "I'm kind of bleeding out over here."

Rose chuckles. "I'm glad you're okay, _Eddie_. I'll see you guys later. I have to make this cry baby better."

Dimitri hesitates at the door but says nothing as Rose gets to work on her patient. The door closes with a soft click leaving Rose alone with the man. She works in silence as she removes a bullet from his shoulder. Somebody had set him up with some blood but had not tended to the wound. The man follows Rose's every movement with a mischievous smile on his lips. Rose ignores him as she concentrates on stitching the wound.

"There," she says removing her gloves. "You will live another day. I'll order more blood. Whoever set you up should have stopped the bleeding otherwise the blood was for nothing."

"Thank you, nurse." The man licks his lips as he gets a good glimpse at Rose. "Goddamn, you're hot. Too bad you belong to Detective Belikov."

"I belong to no one," Rose replies jerking her chin up. "I'm not property. No one is."

"I could change your mind about that," the man says suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. "A night with me, and you'll beg for me to possess you."

"Right," Rose scowls as she disposes of needles. "Look, maybe you should take a nap or something. I don't care just don't talk to me until the officer comes to take over for me, okay?"

"You are no fun," the man pouts. "What if we start over? My name is Nathan. Nice to meet you, Rose or is it Roza?"

"Not likewise," Rose sighs as she sits on a chair farthest from him. "Don't call me that."

"Roza?" Nathan clicks his tongue. "Sounds too pretentious. I like Rose. My Rose. You smell like one too."

"Don't talk or I'll sedate you," Rose rubs her temples feeling a headache coming for the lack of sleep.

"Oh, come on," Nathan insists. "You just have to get to know me. I'm a great guy. What if I take you to lunch after your breakfast with Belikov?"

Rose decides the best course of action is to ignore him. Hopefully the pain killers will knock him out soon. Not soon enough though and after many disgusting attempts at getting her attention, a knock at the door startles Rose awake from a light nap. An officer nods to her and just like that she practically runs out of the room. Nathan made her very comfortable not like guys on the street or bars trying to get her attention but in a more animalistic way. Shuddering and trying to forget about it, Rose makes her way towards the hospital's exit.

"Rose?" Doctor Ivashkov sits on a nearby bench smoking. "I thought I sent you home to sleep. What are you doing?"

"I, uh, I heard about the shooting at the park. I thought I could help," Rose says sheepishly. "You shouldn't smoke."

Adrian looks at the cigarette between his fingers. "Yeah. I've been trying to quit, but since Mason, I've been craving one terribly."

"Mason?" Rose's heart beats erratically at the mention of Mason. "Is he okay?"

"Yes," Adrian responds putting out his cigarette. "Sorry, I shouldn't have put it that way. I meant since he had his seizure this morning. I've ordered the biopsy. It's going on right now. I'm just anxious."

"I know," Rose sits across from Adrian. "Me too. He's a good guy. He has to be to have changed Mia for the better."

"You know her?" Adrian asks popping a piece of gum and offering one to Rose, who declines. "It's our secret." He winks.

"Yeah," Rose chuckles reminiscing about her high school days with Mia. "Would you believe I went to high school with her, and she was a nightmare. Once she started the rumor my best friend and I were lesbians."

"No way!" Adrian's eyes widen. "She seems so nice."

For what seems hours, Rose and Adrian talk about their old days and other topics except for relationships. Rose is relieved for that; she is unsure how she would explain Dimitri or if she should. However, a part of her is disappointed because she wanted to know if he is available. There is mention of the police charity ball to help families that have lost loved ones.

"My aunt invited me," Adrian grimaces as they make their way back inside the hospital.

"Your aunt is the mayor, isn't she?" Rose doesn't know how common the Ivashkov name is so when she began working with Adrian she put two and two together.

"Yes, and as her nephew and doctor of the best hospital on this side of the country, I'm expected to be there." Adrian rolls his eyes.

"I'll be there too," Rose adds gently hoping he will catch a hint. Even though she said she'll go with Dimitri, he probably won't mind if she were to find another date.

"Oh," is all Adrian says as he glances at his watch. "Sorry. I must head back. The biopsy should be concluding soon. Don't come for your shift later. I'll find someone to cover you since you came to help out in emergency."

Before Rose can protest, Adrian takes off. She stands in the middle of the hall pouting. Perhaps she read his flirtiness as politeness. Maybe it was for the best. Rose should spend as much time as possible with Dimitri before their big talk tomorrow morning. Maybe they'll never speak again depending on how it goes. Just thinking of never speaking to Dimitri again makes Rose feel incredibly cold and empty as if she is missing half of herself.

"Busy are we," Nathan whispers as the officer leads him down the hall.

Rose turns to face him. There's no amusement in his voice or eyes. He keeps his eyes glued on her until he's out of the hospital. Rose shudders and checks her watch. Hopefully by now Dimitri is out of his meeting with boss bitch. With nothing else to do for the rest of the day, Rose decides to head to the station to see if Dimitri wants to grab some lunch or if he's up to his ass in scolding. Either way, he may need her to be there for him. With her mind set, she heads out to the station hoping she doesn't have to see Nathan ever again.

At the station, phones are ringing off the hook and everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Instead of checking in, not like she could with the madness, Rose makes her way to Dimitri's office. The blinds aren't drawn so she can see there's no one there. He must still be having his ass handed to him. With that depressing thought, Rose lowers herself onto a chair and waits patiently. She inspects his office. There's a mess of papers on his desk, a board with the map of Boston and red tacks all over it. Before she can inspect the map, the door opens.

"Roza?" Dimitri closes the door behind him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rose stands up and walks straight into his arms. "I just figured you might need a hug after meeting with the bitch in chief."

Dimitri chuckles throwing his arms around her. "You're right. The mayor was here too. It was a pretty spectacular ass handing."

"I'm sorry," Rose looks up at him. "What's happening now?"

"I have 48 hours to come with a good reason why I risked Eddie and those people to meet a guy who hasn't said anything substantial about our suspect." Dimitri looks up at the ceiling begging for inspiration. "Basically, crack this whole case wide open, or I'm getting desk duty."

"48 hours? That's hardly fair. You're doing your best. Let me have a go at Tasha. Christian will understand." Rose makes for the door, but Dimitri pulls her back.

"There's no use," Dimitri holds her tight pushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "This is as good as it's going to get. Stay."

"Okay," Rose steps out from his embrace and moves towards the blinds closing them and locking the door. "I have an idea."

"Rose, no." Dimitri says firmly knowing her well enough to know where her mind is going. "Not here."

"Well," Rose pouts pushing Dimitri onto the chair. "We did it at my job. Why not here too? It's only fair. Besides," she lowers herself to her knees, "let me make you feel better." She unbuttons his pants, "you clearly want it," pulls out his already hardened cock.

"Roza," Dimitri sighs as she takes him into her mouth.

She teases him with her tongue flicking it over the head and then plunging it into her mouth sucking furiously. Her hands tug at his pants and catching the hint, Dimitri allows her to remove his clothing. Unable to take him all in her mouth without choking, she grips the base with both hands and begins to pump him. He grunts as he lets her suck him at her own pace. That's what she loves about Dimitri. Sometimes he can be rough and controlling, which is satisfying and sexy as hell, but mostly he lets her take lead and tell him what she wants. As she moves faster, Dimitri can feel the control slipping.

"Roza," he says between grunts. "Come here, please."

"I like when _you_ beg," Rose replies looking up at him with his cock in her hands and her tongue flicking over the head, teasing.

"I want to fuck you," he pulls her up and pulls down her scrubs. "Actually, I want you to fuck me. Ride me, Roza."

"Yes, sir," she inhales sharply as she lowers herself onto his glistening cock. She moans as he slowly slips into her. "Oh God, you feel amazing."

"You're still so tight from this morning," he growls pushing up her shirt and pushing the bra off exposing her perfect perky breasts to him. He takes a nipple into his mouth and sucks gently. Rose begins to move up and down on him. Their bodies soon gain momentum with Dimitri pushing into her in sync with her lowering onto him. Her moans get louder so Dimitri puts a hand over her mouth. "Hush, Rose."

As if to spite him, she gets louder moaning into his hand. Hearing her muffled moans turns her on. They have never had sex in their respective workplace. They wanted to be professional and keep their arrangement a secret from judging eyes but mostly from their families. But lately, they have stopped caring who knows. Besides, Rose never imagined it could be this hot to have sex knowing they could be caught. With that thought in mind, she can't hold it anymore. Her body spasms with her orgasm.

" _Oh,_ " she moans throwing her had back. "Dimitri."

Dimitri takes advantage of having his hand back. He grips her hips with both hands pushing her harder against him. Soon after, he comes undone inside her once again. He buries his face on her chest as his own climax slowly fades.

"My Roza," he whispers kissing her sweat covered breasts. "I have something to tell you. Something I have been meaning to tell you, but I never could. Today made me realize it could be my last. I mean, I have been shot at, but I just… I have to tell your, or I'll go insane."

"I have something to say too," Rose whispers closing her eyes. She had hoped it wouldn't happen so soon, but if he wants to do it now, so be it.

"I want to break up."

"I want more."

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the delay. I lost my flash drive for a couple days also this chapter gave me a bit of trouble with the medical terms and the action-y stuff. I can write fluff and romance better than that stuff. But I'm trying to get better. Thanks for adding this story to your favorites and follows. I love your reviews. They make me smile. I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Nothing is Easy

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

"I'm sorry, you want what?" Dimitri paces in the office running his hands through his hair wondering how they got here.

 _"Can we be friends with benefits?"_ Rose had asked him all those years ago. Dimitri should have said no. He should have been the voice of reason like he has always been. But even he lacked control sometimes especially when it came to Rose. She could ask him to jump, and he wouldn't even ask how high. He would just do it. And it wasn't like he didn't want more of her. Throughout high school, Dimitri had the attention of several girls. They liked the Russian guy with the sexy accent. He liked some of them too, but none of them had come close to Rose. The way she made him feel. Complete. He is complete with her. Even before their relationship turned sexual, he could count on her being there for him through the mischief and the consequences. She knew what was in his heart, or so he thought.

Rose bites on her lower lip and evades making eye contact with Dimitri. As soon as the words had left her mouth, Rose wanted to take it back. He had stared up at her still on his lap after sex with his mouth open in shock. It wasn't the best time to do it, Rose knew, but he had opened a can of worms. So, Rose had jumped out of his lap and gotten dressed. She tried to dismiss it and leave, but Dimitri hadn't let her. Whether she wanted to or not, now she had to go through with her decision.

"I just mean…" Rose begins rubbing her sweaty palms nervously. "I think we should talk tomorrow."

"Over breakfast, huh?" Dimitri chuckles humorlessly rubbing his chin. "Were you going to tell me after pancakes and bacon?"

"And some coffee," Rose adds laughing nervously. When Dimitri says nothing and simply looks at her, she sighs and stands up. She begins to move toward him, to close the ocean between them, but stops unsure if he'll allow her to touch him. "I just meant I want to end this arrangement. I don't want to lose you though. You're my best friend." She pauses considering what he said. "What did _you_ mean when you say you want more? More as in with another person or…" _with me_ , she finishes in her head unable to say the words out loud and set herself up for rejection.

When Rose and Janine moved to Boston after the divorce, Rose was very damaged. She was young, but she was smart. She understood she would never see her father again. Her parents fought constantly over nothing until one day Janine grew tired. Janine refused to raise Rose in a toxic environment. As Rose and Dimitri grew closer, she spoke of the times her parents woke her up with the yelling.

"I don't ever want to be in a relationship," Rose had told Dimitri one night after take-out, movies, and sex. "I wouldn't know how to function with such a shitty example I got from my parents."

"You would," Dimitri replied tracing patterns on her shoulder. "I think knowing how bad it could be, can keep you from making the same mistakes they did. Besides, look at me. I didn't have the best example either, but I want _that_. I want to one day have a wife and children. The fact that my father was an asshole doesn't stop me from having dreams."

Dreams Rose could never make come true. As her best friend, she owed it to him to set him free. To let him live his best life with someone who deserves him and is not damaged. Someone who knows what they want.

"I meant I want more with you," Dimitri pulls her out of her thoughts with his confession.

"Me?" Rose gasps. "Why would you want me? You know I'm fucked up!"

"No," Dimitri shakes his head and places his hands on each side of her face. "You think you are, but you're not. You're _not_ Janine or Abe."

"Dimitri, I can't." She pulls away from him. "I can't be who you want me to be. I'm not wife material…"

"I'm not asking you to marry me," Dimitri replies once again running his hand through his hair. "I'm asking you to give me, to give _us_ ,a chance. Let's do the date thing. Let's figure it out together. We're already halfway there, Rose. You know me like the back of your hand. I can read you as easy as my Western novels. We've been in a relationship for ten years, unofficially, yes but we've not dated anyone else. What does that tell you? We're meant for each other. I know you care about me just as much as I care about you. Please. Don't run away. Don't be afraid to be with me."

"I can't… I…" Rose whimpers.

Dimitri presses his forehead against hers. "Roza, I love you." He whispers. "I have loved you for a long time. When we met, I thought you would be a pain in my ass. Always running around getting yourself into trouble, and I had to come save you. I was right. You were _my_ pain in the ass. But I never imagined how you could change my life. I'm braver and selfless because of you. Because you give so much of yourself without thought. Because you fight for those who can't. And God, you're beautiful, so beautiful it hurts me. Rose, give me a chance to show you, to prove I won't hurt you. Ever. I'll always take care of you, remember?"

Rose shakes her head as her tears flow freely and silently down her cheeks. In her heart, she knows he's right. They have been in love for too long, and she has always wondered what it would be like to make it official. Would they make it through the week without screaming at each other? Would they move in together? Will she ever feel ready for marriage and family? Her brain says no. The logical and terrified part of her brain warn her against everything he promises. Surely, Abe promised Janine to never hurt her. Abe must have promised to always take care of them both; he must have sworn eternal love for Janine Hathaway. But Abe broke that promise. He broke Janine's heart and Rose's.

"Rose," Dimitri wipes her tears with his thumb. "You don't have to give me an answer right now. I can wait. I'll wait for you for as long as you need me to. We'll have breakfast tomorrow. We can talk more just please don't end this. Not yet."

Rose sniffles and finally looks up at Dimitri. She sees hope and fear in his chocolate eyes. Hope that she might be the one he has always dreamed of, and fear that he might lose her. Rose grips his hand in hers and kisses his palm. Before she can give him an answer, the rattling of the door handle followed by a persistent knock breaks their bubble. They had forgotten they were at the police station.

"One second!" Dimitri shouts followed by Russian curses under his breath. "Sorry, Roza. We will have to pick this up soon. Breakfast at your place or mine?"

"Mine," she sighs defeated. Dimitri is just as stubborn as she is. He won't give up easily. "Send me a list of ingredients."

"No," Dimitri smiles relieved she has given him the chance to present his case. "I'll get everything tonight. Go home and rest. Do you have to work today?"

Rose shakes her head. "Doctor Ivashkov sent me home for the day because I helped with your witness."

"Perfect," Dimitri kisses her lips chastely holding her face in his hands gently as if she could crumble under his touch. Rose responds just as softly. They have kissed like this before, but for some reason it feels different. It feels _right_. "Get some rest, love. You look like hell."

Rose snorts. "Look who's talking. The guy with the bloodstained shirt."

Dimitri chuckles and opens his mouth to respond, but the person waiting outside his office is losing their patience. The intruder taps on the window impatiently making the glass shake. Dimitri groans and pulls away from Rose. In two strides, he's at the door. He takes a moment to look around his office for anything that may look out of place but mostly giving time for Rose to compose herself. She nods when she smooths her hair as much as possible and wipes all tears from her face. Dimitri swings the door open ready to strangle whoever interrupted this very important moment.

"What the hell, Dimitri?" Galina pushes the door open all the way and enters uninvited. "I hate waiting… Who is this?" Galina points a perfect manicured nail towards Rose.

Rose crosses her arms defensively not liking the way this woman talks to Dimitri. She looks the woman up and down, assessing her. Grudgingly, Rose admits to herself that the woman is beautiful in a stuck-up way. The woman is thin and tall or maybe it's the killer stiletto heels she wears. Her hair cascades down in gold waves to her chest cladded in a black, tight pant suit.

"Please come in, Galina," Dimitri mutters as he makes his way to Rose. He stands next to her placing his hand on her lower back. "This is Rose Hathaway. She's a nurse and a very… close friend." He finishes inadequately as he is unsure what he and Rose are now. "Rose, this Galina Liski. She's the DA."

"How cute," Galina replies curling her red coated lips a little. "Is this your childhood _friend_?"

"Yes," Dimitri gazes lovingly at Rose, which Galina notices.

"Cute," Galina repeats gazing at her watch. "Make her leave. We have much to discuss, Dimitri."

"Excuse me?" Rose snorts. "This is Dimitri's office. He decides who stays and who leaves. But it so happens that I was just leaving."

"Well, good," Galina replies giving Rose a sickly-sweet smile. "Shut the door on your way out, _friend_."

Without another word, Galina sits on the chair Dimitri and Rose had sex a while ago. Dimitri and Rose share a knowing look and smile enjoying their secret. With a sigh, Rose makes for the door knowing she can't start anything with a DA. Mostly because it might affect Dimitri. He walks her out of his office, closing the door behind him to properly say goodbye. Usually, they make sure no one sees them being overly affectionate, but Dimitri no longer cares who sees. He holds Rose close placing his hands on her lower back and kisses her. As their lips move softly, Rose throws caution to the wind and buries her hands in Dimitri's hair finally releasing it completely from his messy ponytail. Her cheeks blush with the warmth of his body and the exhilarating thought that everyone is watching them. Everyone will soon know of them and their relationship. Everyone will know Dimitri is hers alone. Maybe.

All too soon, they break apart to breathe. Dimitri gazes into her eyes with a love-sick and joyous smile on his lips. Rose loves seeing him this happy, and she only hopes she won't have to break his heart later.

"I will see you soon," Dimitri promises giving her one last quick kiss. "I love you."

Before Rose can reply, Dimitri rushes back into his office. He catches Galina by the window looking through the blinds. She says nothing at being caught spying on Dimitri and Rose. Galina continues watching Rose make her way through the lobby with several officers and receptionists watching her leave no doubt speaking of her kiss with Detective Belikov.

"I guess you two are very _close_ ," Galina comments finally tearing away from the window and crossing her arms over her chest. "Very dear friends indeed."

"Very personal indeed," replies Dimitri lowering himself into his own chair waiting for Galina to get on with whatever was so important a minute ago he had to send Rose away.

"Isn't she a little too young for you?" Galina makes her way towards Dimitri stopping behind him. She places her hands on his shoulders rubbing his tense muscles.

"She's only a couple years younger not that it should be your business, Galina," Dimitri shrugs her hands off. "Let's keep this professional."

Galina snorts very unlady like. "Fine. Just remember," she leans down to whisper in his ear. "I'm here when you finally realize your little _friend_ is not enough for you."

Dimitri abruptly sits up practically pushing Galina away. He spins around to face her. "Please keep your opinions to yourself." His jaw twitches. "Whatever happens between Rose and me, it's between us. Regardless if she is my friend or lover, she's special to me, and you'll do well to respect her. Now, if you have business to discuss, my door is always open otherwise keep your distance, Galina. I have told you many times you and I can only be friends."

"I was kidding," Galina places her hand on her chest and gasps as if offended. "Relax, Detective Belikov. I certainly wouldn't put our careers in jeopardy for a fling. You're right. Let's discuss business."

Dimitri doesn't sit until Galina moves away from him. She pulls out an envelope from her Louis Vuitton briefcase. Acting as if nothing had happened, Galina slides the envelope to Dimitri.

"Your witness spoke to a sketch artist. This portrait matches our body in the morgue."

"So, we have our killer?" Dimitri frowns as he looks at the sketch. "Do we have a name?"

"Not yet. I figured that's for you to find out. I only came to warn you we're letting your witness go. We have nothing to hold him, so if you want to question him, you better go now." She looks at her watch. "You have about an hour before he's free."

"Thanks," Dimitri nods already getting to his feet. "I'll talk to him and send you an email with the details."

"Be careful," Galina calls over her shoulder as Dimitri makes his way out of his office. "I mean with your Rose. It's my job to read people, to watch for signs of guilt. She looked scared as hell. You're intense and mature, Dimitri. She might not be able to handle that."

"No offense," Dimitri turns to glare at Galina. "Stick to persecuting criminals." He slams the door shut.

Feeling too wound up, Rose knows she won't go home and sleep. There's too much to process. She never expected Dimitri to fall in love with her. She never felt good enough for him. He's gorgeous, a true gentleman, kind, strong, sexy and everything any girl would want in a man. All Rose has going for her is her beauty. Everyone keeps telling her how selfless she is, but they don't know how selfish she truly is. Afraid of losing Dimitri, she came up with their friends with benefits arrangement only to keep him from finding true love. Of course, he claims to have found love but for how long? How long before he realizes Rose really doesn't know how to do relationships? How long before he breaks his promise, or she breaks his heart?

Unable to calm her raging mind, Rose decides to go see the only person who might make up her mind once and for all. The one person she could always count on to tell it like it is and not sugarcoat it like Lissa or be a hopeless romantic like Sydney. Rose uses her spare key to let herself into her mother's house. It had been a while since she set foot in the house. Not because Rose didn't want to see her mother. College and working at the hospital took a lot of Rose's time. Usually her mother came to Rose's apartment to check on her and occasionally bring a casserole Janine had found online and managed to butcher. However, it's the thought that counts, and Rose knows she's lucky to have Janine as her mother. If anyone will have wisdom to help Rose decide, it will be Janine Hathaway.

"Hello?" Rose calls out as she takes her shoes off at the entrance. It was a gesture instilled in her not by Janine, but by Olena Belikova. Rose makes a note to pop in next door to check on Olena and the girls after seeing her mother. "Mom?"

"Rose?" Janine calls from the den. "Darling is that you?"

"Hi, mom," Rose smiles rounding the corner to the den. She finds Janine with her laptop on the glass table and a ball of yarn on the floor. "Don't tell me you're trying to crochet?"

"I have to master it by the time I'm sixty," Janine pauses the video and sets her tools down.

"Which is when, next year?" Rose chuckles sitting down next to her mother.

"Is that any way to speak to your mother whom you have neglected?" Janine pulls Rose in for a hug. "Are you okay?"

Rose shrugs. "Tired as hell. I just got off a sixteen something hour shift."

Janine nods. "Want something to eat? I just made some gluten free muffins."

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Oh," Janine puts her hand on Rose's forehead. "You must be sick darling."

"I think your daughter, the nurse, would know if she was sick," Rose rolls her eyes but lets her mother keep fussing. It's nice to be taken care of for once.

The Hathaways end up at the kitchen picking at the gluten free muffins and drinking green tea to pass the time. Since Rose moved out, Janine had been trying to stay busy learning and trying new things. Most of the time, those things ended in disaster or the trash. They never lasted before Janine moved onto something else. As Janine recounted her latest attempts at eating healthy and crocheting, Rose nodded and listened laughing as her mother showed the misshapen socks and hats she had thus far made.

"What brings you here, though?" Janine asks as she throws away the remaining muffins. "I doubt you came for my cooking or my socks."

Rose keeps picking at her muffin avoiding eye contact. "I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine, darling. I'm not an old woman incapable of taking care of herself, yet."

"I know," Rose nods popping a piece of the muffin in her mouth. "I just wanted to make sure. Do you still go to Zumba with Olena?"

"Of course, every Thursday and Tuesday. We're getting better." Janine winks showing off some of her moves. When Rose doesn't smile or crack a joke at Janine's expense, the concerned mother finally decides it's time to get her daughter talking. "All right. Obviously, something is going on. Talk to me, Rosemarie Mazur Hathaway."

When Janine used Rose's full name, which Abe chose, Rose knew it was serious, and there was no way Rose would get to leave without spilling the beans. Of course, why else had Rose come for if not to spill the beans?

"What happened between you and the old man?" Rose meets her mother's eyes and sees the hurt in Janine's face. "I don't mean to bring up bad memories or anything, I just… I just need to know why it didn't work. Was it my fault?"

"Oh, darling," Janine grabs Rose's hand in hers and kisses it. "No. No, never. Your father and I just… We didn't work out, honey. We were young fresh out of high school when I found out about you. His parents hated me for derailing him from going to school, and that didn't help."

"So, it was me," Rose chuckles and shakes her head.

"Rose, no." Janine replies fervently. "You had no choice. Your father and I were irresponsible. We were… In love. God, were we in love. Just crazy about each other. We couldn't stop, well, you know. It was like fire burning deep and fast." She falls silent. "We loved each other and you, of course. We got married at eighteen, moved into a crappy house, dealt with bills and raising you when we had no idea what we were doing until your father finally made it. He managed to make his own business and get us out of poverty. But it was too late. Our marriage was in ashes. All the things we said to each other, we couldn't take back. It was nothing you did, Rose. It was us. We didn't know any better."

"Do you ever regret it?" Rose asks quietly unsure if she could trust her voice. The knot in her throat was getting bigger with Janine's every word. "I mean, do you regret Abe or… me?"

"No," Janine walks around the kitchen island and pulls Rose in for a hug. "I don't regret Abe or you. You're the best thing that's happened to us. I do regret not working harder. Relationships are hard, Rose. It takes work. I wish Abe and I had made it work. I really do. I just hope we didn't ruin relationships for you. You've always been so cynical of love. That's no way to live, baby. Don't be afraid to love and be loved."

Seeing Janine put things into perspective for Rose. Without even knowing it, Janine helped Rose make a decision. They talked more about the hospital, Lissa and Christian finally moving in together, Sydney and her mysterious man finally coming out in public, and Dimitri. Speaking of Dimitri made Rose nervous. She didn't mention the shooting just in case Dimitri's family didn't know. It should come from him. Together, Rose and Janine headed next door to visit the Belikovas. Viktoria and Paul, Dimitri's nephew, had been over the moon to see Rose. Eventually, exhaustion caught up with Rose and all she wanted was her bed. With lots of kisses and promises to visit more often, Rose makes her way home. She fumbles with the keys to her apartment complex and drops them. With a curse, Rose bends down to pick them up. In that moment, the hair on the back of her neck rises. Slowly, she gets up and looks up and down the street. Several of her neighbors are making their way home. A couple of kids toss a ball in the middle of the street jumping out of the way when cars honk at them to get out of the way. The cat lady from down the street comes out to feed her strays. Overall, nothing out of the ordinary, but she feels something, some _one_ , watching her. With a shiver and a shrug, she finally goes inside and heads straight for bed without taking her scrubs or shoes off. Dreamland claims her before her head hits the pillow.

Dimitri lets himself into his mother's house. He sets a bag of groceries on the counter and sets out to find the women of the house. First, he finds his grandmother, Yeva, in her rocking chair with her eyes closed.

"Rose was here," Yeva says as Dimitri turns to leave. "Lovely girl. I've always liked her."

Dimitri kisses the top of Yeva's head. "You have a funny way of showing it. You hit her with your cane constantly."

"Only when she was being hardheaded." Yeva smiles fondly. "She wasn't hardheaded today. It's about time." She squeezes his hand.

"Babushka," Dimitri shakes his head in amusement. "I don't know what you're saying half the time. Where's mama?"

"Dimka," Olena calls from the front door. "I saw your car outside from Janine's house. This is lovely. Rose was here, too." She finishes pulling her son in for a hug.

"I've been told," Dimitri kisses his mother. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she smacks his shoulder. "But you… You didn't tell me you were in a shot out."

"He's always in a shot out," Yeva replies waving her hand in the air dismissively. "But he'll always come back."

"Anyway," Olena sighs. "Don't keep things from me, Dimka."

"Sorry, mama," he kisses her hand and smiles mischievously. "Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

Olena sits next to Yeva in the living room. Dimitri paces back and forth suddenly nervous. Rose hasn't given him an answer so perhaps announcing he loves her to his family is presumptuous. But he cannot contain his excitement. Besides, he wants his mother's and grandmother's blessing in pursuing a relationship with someone they know and love. It shouldn't be too hard.

"I'm in love," he begins earning a gasp. "Her name is..."

"Rose," Yeva chimes in.

"Yes," Dimitri rolls his eyes. Of course, Yeva would know. "Rose. I've been in love with her for a while. I have asked her to give me a chance. I ask your blessing." He looks at Olena at the last part. "You already love her, and I just want to know our relationship will be received with open arms."

Olena says nothing for a while. "She is too young," Olena finally says. "Are you sure she's ready?"

"Mama," Dimitri sighs a little annoyed wondering why everyone seems concerned with Rose's age. "She's twenty-eight. Only a couple years younger than me. Besides, age is just a number."

"Sure, but… I don't know, Dimitri. I do love her, but she's always working…"

"I'm always working," Dimitri scoffs trying to keep calm. "We're committed to our careers, yes, but I know relationships take work too."

"Does she?" Olena raises her eyebrows. "She's never been in a relationship."

"Neither have I. Nothing serious besides if you must know, we've been together for ten years." He explains his arrangement leaving out the explicit details. He hadn't intended to reveal his private life with Rose. "I love her, and I know she loves me too."

"I cannot believe you were this foolish," Olena chastises. "How could you think an arrangement like that would end well? Of course, you would fall in love with her! You've loved her since you were a kid following her around. You always said, 'oh mama, I'm only keeping her safe.'"

"I was," Dimitri chuckles recalling how everyone called him Rose's shadow. "She had a knack for getting in trouble."

"She still does," Olena grabs her son's hand and sighs. "But you love her, so who am I to get in the way? I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I do."

"He does," Yeva says at the same time as Dimitri.

After speaking to the girls for a while, Dimitri kissed them all goodnight and headed to Rose's apartment. Inside, he puts groceries away as silently as he can. When he came in, all the lights were off, so he assumed Rose was sleeping. Done in the kitchen, Dimitri makes his way to Rose's bedroom. He turns the bedside lamp on and finds her fully clothed. With a quiet chuckle, he removes her shoes and works on removing her clothing without waking her up. She must be exhausted because she doesn't even stir. He knows she likes to sleep with one of his shirts and just her underwear. Once she's comfortable, Dimitri lays down beside her and pulls her into his arms.

"I love you, Roza," he says into her hair before drifting off to sleep himself.

The smell of bacon wakes Rose. She groans as she stretches, her tense muscles screaming at her. Her eyes flutter open and finds a glass of water on the beside table. Dimitri. He knows she drinks water first thing in the morning. He would know that after all those years together. His words echo back in that moment.

 _"We've been in a relationship for ten years,"_ he had said yesterday.

Her eyes begin to glisten with tears as the emotions hit her hard like a ton of bricks. It's true. They've been together. Somewhere along the arrangement, the lines blurred or perhaps they had always been blurred. What started as a crush turned into something more the night of prom ten years ago. How could she be so stupid? She did know him like the back of her hand, and he read her like an open book. He knew how she liked to sleep for fuck's sake!

With that realization, Rose wipes her face and drinks her glass of water. Quietly, she makes her way to the bathroom where she inspects herself. She has looked better, but she can tell there's something different in her eyes. Hope? Rose smiles. Yes, it feels right. There's hope she hasn't been damaged beyond repair. And even if she's damaged, he wants her. He knows everything about her. They're best friends and more. No one will compare to him. She will literally do anything for him. Walk on broken glass for miles just to get to him. Except, she doesn't have to do that. All she must do is go into that kitchen and tell him.

Rose watches him whistle and slave over the stove working on her bacon. "Dimitri," she calls softly stepping into the kitchen.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Dimitri calls looking up briefly. His heart sinks when he sees her tear stained face. He shuts the stove off and rushes to her side. "Rose? Roza? Are you okay? Talk to me."

"Yes," she whispers looking into his eyes and caressing his lips with her fingertips. "Yes."

Dimitri frowns. "Yes, you're okay?"

Rose steps back and without another word, takes her shirt off exposing her naked breasts to him and taking her underwear off. She stands fully naked and nervous. Even though, she's been naked countless times, this feels different. It's not just physical nakedness, it's emotional. She's exposing her heart to him, letting him in all the way.

"Roza?" Dimitri licks his lips unsure if he should be concerned or aroused.

"Yes, to you," she steps back into his arms. "Yes, to us."

* * *

 **AN: So no lemon in this one. Sorry! I do promise two next chapter. Thanks for your love for the story. I appreciate every single one of you!**


	5. Give Me Love

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Give Me Love

Dimitri gasps and swears he can fly. Rose said yes. She has accepted him as more than a friend, though he'll always be her friend. But this changes everything. He never expected it to be this easy to convince her they're meant for each other. Not that he's complaining.

"Oh, Roza," Dimitri whispers emotion thick in his voice. "You will not regret this, I promise."

He claims her lips softly at first then hungrily as if he needed her to breathe, and she replies just as enthusiastically. He slides his hands up and down her naked back as she buries her hands in his hair tugging at it eliciting a groan from Dimitri. Fully aroused now, he cups her ass squeezing the soft flesh and pulling her up in his arms. Desperately, he pushes the vegetables of the kitchen counter and sits her on the cold marble.

"Cold," Rose gasps and giggles nervously.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri stops touching her. He gazes into her eyes, and it's like their first time. He can see her fear and resolve. "We don't have to do this though."

"I know," Rose takes his shirt off. Her fingers trace the lines on his hard rock stomach. She bites her lower lip as the moist builds between her legs. "I want to. I want you to make love to me."

Dimitri doesn't protest anymore and kisses her once more. His hands roam her body exploring carefully her soft flesh. He cups her breasts as his thumbs flick her taut nipples causing her to moan into his mouth. His lips leave hers as he kisses down her jaw making his way to her neck, shoulders, collarbone, and finally her breasts. Rose's breath becomes labored and her legs wrap around him needing to disappear in him. Before Dimitri takes her nipples into his mouth, an idea pops into his head. He gives her a playful smile and without breaking eye contact, he reaches behind her on the counter. With the bottle of syrup in his hand, he grins at Rose who stares at him confused.

"I want to try something," Dimitri begins as he takes his pants off and opens the bottle. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Rose gasps as Dimitri pours some syrup on her breasts.

He begins to lick the sweet sticky substance off. Rose moans as his tongue flicks over her nipple before pulling it into his mouth and sucking. He does the same to the other until her breasts are clean, and her body is quivering with desire. But he's not done. Dimitri pours more on her stomach letting the substance slide down towards her sweet entrance.

"No more syrup," Dimitri grins as he looks up at her from between her legs. "You taste delicious enough."

Rose doesn't get to say anything before his mouth is attacking her folds sucking and flicking his tongue over them. Her breathing becomes loud and ragged she swears the neighbors next door can hear her. When Dimitri plunges in two fingers, Rose lets out a small scream of surprise and pleasure. As his tongue continues assaulting her clit, he slides his fingers in and out slowly. She throws her head back and moans freely. Who cares if anyone hears? They're together now. This is what couples do. The thought of them officially together and his expert tongue flicking over her clit send her over the edge. Her hands bury in his hair as she comes violently and loudly on his mouth.

Suddenly, he's inside her and his lips are on hers. She moans feeling him buried deep in her and tasting herself in his tongue.

"Roza," Dimitri says between kisses to her neck as he begins to slowly move in an out of her. "My Roza."

"Yours," she cries out, her fingers digging onto his back and her legs wrap around him. "Always."

He continues moving in and out of her slowly, pacing himself, making the moment last as long as he can. It's hard not to fuck her as hard as he can. Not when he wants her so bad. He wants to be buried in her until he can't feel where one begins and the other ends. This is not just like the other times they've fucked. This feels like their first time, and in a way, it is. This is the first time they don't have to hold back how much they care for each other. They can express how much they love the feeling of each other without fear it will damage their friendship. This is Dimitri exploring the body of the woman he loves most in the world. This is them giving each other the love they held back for so long.

His lips are on her breasts again, his tongue teasing the nipples as one hand reaches between them and strokes her sweet spot. Rose gasps and moans loudly. Calling out to God, Rose comes undone around him. Her walls clench around him, squeezing his cock. Dimitri groans with her nipple in his mouth, and he knows it won't be long before he can't control himself any longer. Without pulling out, he picks her up and takes her to the kitchen table. Once there, he pulls out making Rose pout in disapproval.

"Don't worry," Dimitri chuckles. "I'm not done with you yet."

"I would hope not, Comrade." Rose lets out a squeal when he spins her around and bends her over the table with one leg firmly on the ground and the other on the table.

Dimitri slides his moist cock back inside her tight pussy. He throws his head back and groans loudly feeling her snuggly around him. At first, he begins slow trying to make himself and the moment last just a little bit longer.

"Fuck," Dimitri says under his breath. "You feel so good… I can't…"

"Don't," Rose begs looking over shoulder at him. "Don't hold back, Dimitri."

"Oh, Roza," he groans gripping her hips as he pushes wildly in and out. " _Roza._ "

They end up ordering some take out from their favorite place. Dimitri offered to finish making breakfast wearing solely an apron and as much as Rose enjoyed the mental image, she was starving. The activities of the morning left her limbs shaky and awoke her famous appetite that just yesterday seemed to be missing. There was no way she was going to be patient enough to wait for bacon and pancakes. Still naked, Dimitri and Rose ate on the kitchen floor. They sit next to each other, their backs against the counter where a few minutes ago, they had the most amazing sex.

"That was…" Rose pauses biting on her lower lip seeking for the right word to describe it. "That was incredible."

"The food?" Dimitri asks innocently. He knows exactly what she is saying but wants to hear her say it.

"No," Rose rolls her eyes. "The sex… I mean, it's always incredible, don't get me wrong. But it felt…"

"Different," Dimitri finishes for her unable to make her suffer long. "I know. I felt all those times we were together, I was holding back. I was tiptoeing around you afraid I might do or say the wrong thing during and after. I think this time we both just let go."

Rose smacks his shoulder lightly. "I can't believe you were holding back on me."

"That's all you heard from everything I said?" Dimitri chuckles. Leave it to her to try and derail the conversation.

She clears her throat and takes his hand in hers interlocking their fingers. "I know what you're trying to say. I felt all those times together, we tried to take the emotion out of it. It was hard and exhausting trying to hold back how I felt. How I've felt for a long time. It was the little things, you know? Every time you came over to the house to help mom and me with the plumbing. Or when I called you late at night after a fight with her. Remember the first time Lissa and I got drunk at Camille's party in eleventh grade? You came to get us, and you were so mad. I thought you were going to break your mom's beat up car with the way you were holding onto the steering wheel so tightly.

"But you didn't say anything. You took us home and covered for us because you knew my mom would have grounded me. The next morning, you held my hair as I threw up, and you got some pain killers for us. It wasn't until after we dropped Lissa off that you let me have it. You said I had been reckless to drink at Camille's." Rose chuckles recalling the memory like it was yesterday. "I screamed back at you and was mad that you tried to be my parent. I didn't talk to you for a couple of hours. But that made me realize how much you care. I mean, I knew you always cared, but you waited until I wasn't feeling to crappy to make me feel crappy. It was the sweetest thing to me, and I think that was the moment I knew, I was in trouble. I had fallen for my best friend."

Dimitri grabs Rose by the back of her head and pulls her in for a slow kiss. "I love you, Rose."

"I love you, too." She sighs contently. "It feels so good to say it. I mean, I've told you many times I love you but not like this. You know?"

He chuckles. "Oh, I know, Roza." His finger runs along her thigh. "It's like letting out a big secret that has been weighing me down for years."

"Since when?" Rose asks her breathing picking up as he continues running his fingers up and down her thigh.

"Do you remember when you started ninth grade, and Mia wanted to be popular because she was tired of being an outcast through middle school?" He rests his palm on her stomach and turns to face her.

"Yes," she replies a little out of breath already feeling the desire creeping back into her exhausted body. "She dragged Lissa and me to cheerleading try outs. You were in the gym hanging out with your friends."

Dimitri nods. "You looked terrified and annoyed. But you were there for your friend. I saw you stumble through a routine, falling on your ass a couple of times. You eventually gave up and came to sit next to me to watch Lissa and Mia. Then, Avery Lazar, who was a junior at the time, said nasty things to Lissa…"

"She called her a graceless flamingo," Rose recalls through gritted teeth angry at Avery.

"Right," Dimitri gazes into her eyes. "You sprang up before I could hold you back and shoved Avery. She was taller and stronger, but you didn't care. You didn't think, you just acted."

"That's what made you fall in love with me? My lack of common sense and violent nature?" Rose raises her eyebrows in disbelief. "Out of all the things you could have said like my hair or my eyes. Heck, even my dazzling smile even if I had braces back then."

Dimitri chuckles. "Do you want to hear the story or not? I didn't see a reckless or violent person. I saw a brave young girl. Though, your hair looked amazing, if you must know. It was wild and untamed in your ponytail. Your eyes were fierce and bright. You are fierce and bright. Without regard to your safety, you went after a bully for someone you loved. I knew it had been you who gave me strength and bravery I needed to stand up to my father. To stand up for those I love."

He resumes tracing patterns on her skin as he lets her process his story. "I like my story better," Rose whispers.

"It's always a competition with you, huh?" He gives her a quick kiss and stands up. Once on his feet, he extends a hand out to her. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. I have to be at work in an hour."

"Do you have to?" She pouts taking his hand. "Wait, that was stupid. Of course, you do. You have a deadline. How's your case going?"

Dimitri sighs leading her towards the bathroom. "I don't know. Everything points to the shooter being the killer. It just doesn't feel right. My gut tells me there's more to it. This can't be this easy."

"What do you mean? You've been chasing this bastard for a while. It's good he's dead, I say." Rose snorts as Dimitri runs the water.

"It just doesn't make sense," Dimitri frowns. "We identified him. His name is Isaiah. I just wonder how he knew Eddie and I were meeting with Nathan."

"What did Nathan have to say about Isaiah?" Rose steps into the shower hissing when the hot water hits her skin.

"Not much. Nathan didn't know Isaiah's name, we had to run his fingerprints through the database, just what he looked like." Dimitri steps in behind her. "Nathan told us he saw Isaiah leading a girl towards the back where they disappeared. The girl turned out to be the body we found last week. It just all seems to be solving itself out. Like you said, weeks and weeks of searching for the killer, and he just shows up, and I shot him. I don't know, Roza."

"Trust your gut," Rose says spinning around to face him. She places her hands on his chest. The warmth of the hot water is nothing compared to the feeling of his skin under her fingertips. "It's never let you down before. Maybe you can call Nathan to question him some more."

"Maybe," Dimitri echoes absentmindedly. Sure, he has just a few hours to solve this case, but feeling Rose near him, she's all he can think of. He reaches over for her shampoo and begins to massage her scalp with the strawberry and mint concoction. "Maybe I don't want to think about that right now. I'm in the shower with a beautiful woman. The woman I love. Criminals can wait for an hour or so."

"Am I really beautiful?" Rose whispers as Dimitri uses his hands to lather soap all over her body.

"Beautiful doesn't even accurately describe you, love," Dimitri responds claiming her lips.

She kisses him back grabbing the back of his head where she buries her hands in his silk like hair. His fingertips caress her body stopping to give her breasts some attention.

"I love your body," he murmurs against her lips earning a smile. "I can't believe I have you to myself."

"I have been yours for a long time," she responds breathlessly as he continues his journey down her stomach. "Unofficially but I've been yours. I don't want anyone else but you, Dimitri."

Her words make him crazy with desire, so he bends down picking her up by the back of her knees. He pushes her up against the wall and guides himself into her. She gasps taken by surprise. Of course, she knew their kissing would lead to something more. It always does. A simple touch is all it takes to ignite her body. A nasty thought creeps into her mind as he begins to move. What if their relationship is purely physical? They have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves. But just as he begins to move faster, as his teeth graze her jaw, she feels her heart beating wildly in her chest. It's not the activity, though of course it feels good, it's the fact that he's making love to her. It's love. She feels it when he caresses her rib cage. She hears it in the way he whispers her name against her skin. It's there in his eyes when he looks at her like a wondrous creature.

"Dimitri," she moans burying her face into his neck and biting gently. He groans picking up momentum pushing in and out faster. "I love you."

"I love you," he replies goosebumps appearing all over his skin. "I love you so damn much, Roza."

There it is again. In his voice is the love she had denied herself for fear. Fear of rejection and pain. But that fear is nothing compared to the hope that their future is bright. Sure, she's still afraid their relationship will crumble, but it's worth fighting for, and she will fight for it. For him. And in her heart, she knows he will fight for her. He was ready to fight for her, Rose could tell when he told her he wanted more yesterday. Even if she had put up a fight, Rose knows Dimitri would have eventually won. He was stubborn that way. But he was also kind, loving, funny, and so smart. And his physical appearance was otherworldly. Rose stood no chance against him. She fell head over heels in love with him.

Her legs shake around him as she screams his name to the heavens. Dimitri doesn't let up, pushing harder and faster as she rides out her orgasm. Her nails dig into his back scratching as the delicious moans leave her parted lips and her beautiful eyes roll to the back of her head. With Rose's name under Dimitri's breath, he comes undone. Dimitri sets her head down, both breathing heavy. He keeps his hands on her elbows steading her knowing her legs probably feel like overcooked spaghetti.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri says through deep breaths. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assault you. I just can't help myself."

"You don't hear me complaining," Rose grins holding tightly onto him. "I don't think we have ever done it in the shower. It was really good."

"Yes, it was," Dimitri kisses the top of her head. "Let's get you cleaned up for real this time."

After the shower, Rose watches Dimitri move around her bedroom taking clothes out of drawers. It dawns on her that they practically live with each other. They haven't spoken much of what's going to happen now that they're a couple. Perhaps instead of having sex all over the apartment, they should have talked about their relationship. Relationship. The word feels so foreign to Rose. Who would have thought she would commit to something so long term? She shakes her head feeling silly. She committed ten years ago. If this had been a normal relationship from the beginning, she and Dimitri would probably be married by then. That thought makes her heart skip a beat in a way she's never experience before. She clutches her shirt and frowns.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri calls from across the room. He had stopped halfway to putting his shirt on when he noticed a faraway look in her eyes. In his mind, he wonders if she's second guessing their relationship.

"Yeah," Rose drops her hand and gives him a shaky smile.

"Don't lie to me, Rose," Dimitri crosses the room and sits next to her taking her hands in his. "I'm your best friend above everything. You can tell me what's on your mind."

"I was just thinking," she pauses unsure if it's the right thing to say. Maybe it's too soon. But what the hell. "Lissa and Christian are moving out. I'll be on my own, which is fine, you know I don't mind. But we practically live together. Half of your stuff is here, and half of mine is at yours. Maybe we should… Move in together?"

"Really?" Dimitri wasn't expecting that. He had thought about it before, but he didn't want to pressure Rose when everything is still new. Coming from her, who was afraid to let him into her heart just yesterday, means a lot to him. "Are you sure?"

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Rose blushes and avoids eye contact. There she goes again sticking her foot in her mouth.

"I would love to," Dimitri's thumb rests on her chin as he tilts her head up. "Let's do it."

"Okay," she sighs relieved unaware she had been steeling her for rejection. "You don't think we're moving too fast?"

"No," he kisses her forehead and keeps getting ready for work. "But if at any point you feel like we are, all you have to do is say the word. I'll back off, and we can slow down. I'm not going anywhere, Roza. Get used to it."

"So bossy," Rose giggles. "I like it."

"Stop," Dimitri shakes his head. "Don't give me that look. I can't stay, as much as I would love to."

"What look?" Rose frowns confused. She didn't know she was looking at him differently.

"That look you give me when you want more. When you want to get your way. You know you have me wrapped around your finger."

"I do not have a _look_!" She exclaims shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe," Dimitri shrugs. "Maybe you do it unintentionally, but that look sure works on me. It's very sexy and innocent at the same time."

"You're full of it," she sighs as he checks his gun. "What time are you getting off?"

"A few hours before the event," Dimitri grabs his wallet. "Did you find something to wear yet?"

Rose shakes her head. "I was going to go shopping and pray I find something decent. Maybe I'll call Sydney and go with her."

"Okay," he takes out a red credit card and hands it to her. "Charge it to this."

"What?" Rose looks at the card and then at him. She narrows her eyes. "I don't need you to buy me anything. I can do it myself."

"I don't mean it like that, Rose," Dimitri grimaces a little. He knows she likes being independent. Reluctantly, she took the money Abe gave her for college. She always said she didn't need a man to take care of her. "I just want to do this for you. Boyfriends sometimes buy stuff for their girlfriends."

Rose's eyes soften immediately caught off guard by the labels. "Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Is that what we are?"

Dimitri moves closer; his thumb caresses her cheek. "Yes. You're my girlfriend, and I'm your boyfriend."

"It sounds different," she leans into his touch with her eyes closed. "Somehow, I'm not even sure it's close to what we are."

"I know. It sounds better than friends with benefits, I'll tell you that much." He sits next to her. "Let me pay for your dress."

"Fine," she rolls her eyes. "If anyone has a look, it's you. When you look at me like that, I can't say no."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dimitri gives her a quick and gentle kiss. "I'm running late. I'll pick you up at eight. I love you, Roza."

"I love you too, Dimitri," she responds already getting up to get dressed. "Be careful!" She calls after him.

"Always am, Roza," he calls back before she hears the click of the lock.

With a smile, Rose picks up her cell. There are some missed calls from the old man again, a couple of texts from Lissa, missed call from Adrian… Her heart sinks as she dials his number. After a couple agonizing rings, Adrian picks up.

"Little Nurse," his voice is thick with sleep, and Rose realizes she must have woken him up.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I just saw your missed call. Everything okay?"

"Don't worry," Adrian groans. "I had to get up anyway. Yes, Mason is okay. Biopsy was a success. I'm going in to see the results, and I'll call you back."

"Okay, thank you! I'm sorry to have woken you up. You must have been up for longer than me." She chuckles nervously.

"Comes with the profession, Rose. I will survive. I'll see you tonight."

"See you," she replies timidly before he hangs up. She moves on to replying to Lissa's text. The difference in time zones have seriously put a damper in their friendship. Lissa's only been gone for three days, and Rose misses her terribly.

In the text, Lissa goes into detail about dinner with Christian's parents, who are incredibly nice. Rose smiles looking through the million pictures Lissa has sent. Rose notices the signature icy blue eyes and dark hair Christian and Tasha are known for. Of course, Rose half expected the Ozeras to be as nasty as Tasha. But Christian is a great guy, he had to get it from somewhere. It's a relief Tasha is sort of the black sheep. Rose shots back a long text with many heart emojis reminding Lissa she is missed. Done with Lissa, Rose decides to send Abe a quick message.

" _Thanks for calling. Busy with work but overall fine. I hope you are as well. Rose."_ She hesitates to send the message. Dimitri's words echo in her mind. Abe deserves a chance. But Rose is not quite ready to take so many chances in one week. She hits send before she changes her mind and decides to set up a shopping spree with Sydney.

They agree to meet at the mall in an hour. With a plan in motion, Rose finishes getting dressed. She opts for something comfy as she is about to spend a couple of hours looking for a last-minute dress. Looking in the mirror, she still looks exhausted but somehow there's a glow in her skin. Her eyes are wide and bright such a contrast to the bags under them. She decides not to put make up on; she's only going to the mall. On her way out, she pauses by the door and looks around the apartment. Dimitri cleaned up the vegetables he had thrown all over the floor while they waited for the take out to arrive. Rose smiles though it fades fast. There was something she was supposed to do but can no longer remember. With a shrug, she locks the door behind her. Outside, the sun is shinning brightly, and a light breeze ruffles her damp hair. She inhales deeply the scent of blooming flowers intoxicatingly pleasant. Spring is her favorite time the nice weather, the busy streets, the people laughing enjoying the sun. She likes the joy in the air. Or perhaps she's walking on air, high on her love for Dimitri. Regardless, Rose doesn't notice the man following her a few steps back all the way to the mall.

The girls go from store to store searching for the perfect dress. Rose saw a couple that earned a double take but nothing that screamed at her or Sydney 'first night out with boyfriend and must look better than ever before.'

"What kind of party is it?" Rose asks as she looks through a rack. "That might help narrow down our search for you at least."

"He didn't say," Sydney shrugs searching on a rack behind Rose. "He said it was going to be a surprise, but he did say it's going to be super public."

"All parties are," Rose rolls her eyes. "I just mean is it formal or informal. Indoor or outdoor. That kind of thing is crucial when picking out a dress. He could have at least given you that much."

Sydney sighs. "I know. Sometimes I wish we didn't have to hide. I mean, I understand why…"

"Are you sure he's not married?" Rose turns to look at Sydney suspiciously.

"No," Sydney replies firmly. "I mean no, he's not. I'm not like that, Rose."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Rose says quickly once again putting her foot in her mouth. "I'm just saying… Love makes people do crazy things."

"It's okay," Sydney walks over to Rose where she squeezes her hand. "I know you're just looking out for me. Ugh. I wish Lissa was here. She's more experienced with this sort of thing."

"It is her career," Rose nods agreeing with the sentiment and missing Lissa more than ever. "She would be able to figure out what kind of event he's taking you to. Hell, she might have even planned it."

"Oh!" Sydney shrieks and turns to smile excitedly at Rose. "I think I found _your_ dress!"

Rose's mouth drops when Sydney shows her the dress she found tucked away. "That's my dress for sure."

"Dimitri won't know what to do with himself when he sees you in this," Sydney winks. "This will end your friends with benefits deal. He'll fall on his knees begging you to marry him."

"I don't know about that," Rose chuckles nervously. She was going to wait to tell Lissa and Sydney about her and Dimitri over a glass of wine, but this seemed a good time as any. "We just started dating."

"What?" Sydney's jaw figuratively hits the floor, and she almost drops the gown. "What?!"

Rose pulls out Dimitri's credit card from her purse. "My boyfriend is treating me to a dress." She grins and covers her ears when Sydney lets out a delighted scream.

"Oh my gosh!" Sydney throws her arms around Rose. "Congratulations! About time you two."

Rose rolls her eyes but hugs her friend back. "Yeah, yeah. You and Liss were right. Don't make me repeat that!"

"When did this happen?"

"Just this morning. I was going to wait to tell you guys but…"

"No! Never hold back good news. This is incredible. Now, you must try this dress. It's perfect."

The dress did turn out to be perfect. Rose twirls and spins around in it giggling like a younger girl finding her prom dress. The man looks from the courtyard as Rose steps out of the dressing room in a sexy dress. He licks his lips imagining himself tearing it off. He must get close to her and soon. The desire to possess her is getting out of control.

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 **AN: I've been trying to upload this for so long! Fanfic won't let me upload documents for some reason. I found a way around it, but it doesn't get fixed I might throw my laptop away. I hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for reading, reviewing, adding to your favorites and follows.**


	6. To the Moon and Stars

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Six: To the Moon and Stars

Dimitri scrolls through the report his eyes burning as he tries to read as fast he can but at the same time not miss anything. Background check on Isaiah was sitting on his computer when he arrived at work. Immediately, and reluctantly, Dimitri put all thoughts of Rose on hold and began to dig into the report. Of course, he expected it to be longer. There wasn't much on Isaiah Leto. He was born in Maryland and was in and out of foster care when his parents died in a car accident. After turning sixteen, Isaiah ran away after an accident with the foster parents' daughter. Apparently, he was beginning to show signs of aggression back then. Isaiah worked odd jobs here and there after running away until finally getting hired by Zeklos Inc last year. A photo from the DMV confirmed the sketch they got from Nathan's description.

Suddenly, all the evidence they accumulated over a few days pointed to Isaiah being the killer. The partial and the witness who saw Isaiah lead the girl to the back pointed to him. The lack of girls gone missing seemed to support that theory. But to Dimitri it was just that, a theory. He found it hard to believe he got so lucky in catching the bastard and even luckier he killed him with no way of knowing why he killed all those girls, or the satisfaction of looking into his eyes and see the defeat in them. Maybe at the end of the day, it didn't matter if the girls are safe once again.

Dimitri's gut tells him he is missing something. But Tasha told him to just write the report and leave it at that. There is nothing else to do. Or so Tasha wanted him to believe; she wants to put this case to rest and get the mayor to back off. But Dimitri can't just accept it; he wouldn't be one of the best if he just gave up easily. Dimitri grabs his keys and heads out running into Eddie as Dimitri makes his way out of the station.

"I brought donuts," Eddie dangles the box of donuts in front of Dimitri, who isn't sure who likes donuts more Eddie or Rose.

"No time," Dimitri stops on his way down the steps. "There's something I need to do. You can tag along. This will be between us."

Eddie frowns but follows Dimitri anyway. The detectives pull up at Nathan Voss' home. Dimitri looks through the report on Nathan double checking the address unsure if he got it right. A black Honda Accord is parked in front of a small townhouse in an opulent neighborhood where usually newlyweds move in to start their life together. Dimitri finds it strange a guy like Nathan would move into a place like this. Looking around, Dimitri can't help wondering if Rose would one day like to move into something like this. Quiet and nice with a view to a beautiful rose garden.

"Can you explain again why we're here?" Eddie asks as he picks up another donut.

"Do you think he's home?" Dimitri frowns wondering why he hasn't seen any activity.

"Who?" Eddie says with his mouth full. "Who lives here?"

"Nathan Voss," Dimitri replies digging through the glove compartment.

"Why are we stalking him?"

"I just don't think he was honest with us," Dimitri pulls out a small box from the glove compartment. "I think he knows more about our killer."

"You mean the one in the morgue waiting to rot?" Eddie asks perplexed unable to follow Dimitri's logic. "The bastard is dead. Nathan found him for us."

"Exactly," Dimitri opens the box taking out a small square device with a single button on it. "I don't mean to toot our own horn, but we're good at our job. We find criminals and put them away. The killer evaded us well for months. He was – is – smart. How does one guy like that screw up so royally in a matter of days?"

"So, you don't think we caught the killer, and you think Nathan is… doing what exactly?" Eddie still confused munches on his next donut.

"I don't know what Nathan is or how does he fit into this, but I'm going to find out." Dimitri gets out of the car before Eddie can say another word.

He looks up and down the street before crossing it and makes his way towards Nathan's place. As soon as he gets close to the car, Dimitri bends down by the back wheel and behind it places the small tracking device. He gets back up and continues his way to the front door where he rings the bell. No one comes to the door despite Dimitri ringing a couple times and announcing himself. Hoping Nathan is not hiding and watched Dimitri hide the tracker, Dimitri heads back towards his car.

Just as he's about to cross the street, a yellow corvette pulls up next to the Honda. Dimitri curses in Russian wondering if he got the wrong place. However, when Nathan steps out, Dimitri sighs relieved though perplexed. Why would a man need two cars? The report on Nathan didn't mention family or significant other.

"Detective Belikov," Nathan frowns. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your stalking?"

"Just wanted to check on you," Dimitri motions to Nathan's arm in a sling. "How's the arm?"

"Still hurts but not as much I expected. Your friend Rose did a good job on me," Nathan winks. "Her pretty face makes me feel better than all the pain killers I'm on."

Dimitri's jaw twitches. "She is a great nurse, but I'd suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself."

"My apologies," Nathan stiffens and makes his way to his house without another word to Dimitri.

"Why do you have two cars?" Dimitri calls out as Nathan unlocks his door. "Just curious."

"One is the company car," Nathan mumbles before closing the door behind him.

"What the hell?" Eddie exclaims as Dimitri tears away from the neighborhood. "Why don't you just let it go? We caught him. So, what if we had a little help? It doesn't make us bad detectives. If Tasha finds out…"

"If," Dimitri repeats. "You said it yourself. If she finds out, if you open your mouth. It'll be okay. If he's not hiding anything, you get the satisfaction of saying I told you so."

Eddie shakes his head. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing. I didn't want him to suspect anything, so I tried making conversation," Dimitri grips the steering wheel tightly. "Though I almost broke his nose when he started talking about Rose."

"I saw you tense up, man." Eddie whistles. "I had my hand on the handle just in case I had to intervene. What did he say?"

"He commented on her beauty," Dimitri murmurs.

"She is beautiful."

"Yes, but she's also my girlfriend, and I didn't appreciate his suggestive tone." Dimitri snaps back. It doesn't bother him when his coworkers tell him how gorgeous Rose is. He knows she's beautiful there's no denying it. But Dimitri didn't like Nathan, a stranger, to speak or think of Rose at all.

"Since when?" Eddie exclaims causing Dimitri to almost swerve into the next lane.

"This morning," Dimitri gives Eddie a brief smile. "She agreed to give me a chance."

"About time!" Eddie pats Dimitri's shoulder. "Good for you, Dimitri. I know you've had a thing for her for a long time."

"Talk about an understatement." Dimitri says under his breath.

Dimitri drops Eddie off back at the station with the task to finish writing the report. Since Dimitri doesn't believe in it, Eddie will be better off bullshitting it enough for Tasha. From the station, Dimitri heads for the mall. The thought occurred to him as he drove Eddie back to the station. Eddie had said tonight will be special for Dimitri and Rose. Tonight is the first night they will step out as a couple.

"I hope you have a plan for making this unforgettable for her," Eddie commented as he finished the last donut.

Dimitri wasn't sure what to do. Roses weren't Rose's favorite, go figure. She always thought they were cliché, but then again, she also thought relationships weren't for her. Rose was changing her mind about a lot of things. However, Dimitri doesn't think roses will be enough to make the night memorable. Flowers wither and die; he doesn't want her think of that when their relationship is just blossoming. As he walks through the mall, he runs through some ideas. A perfume? He just bought her one for Christmas. Chocolates? As a nurse, she is against sweets unless they're donuts. Make up? He is clueless when it comes to that stuff. With a sigh, he admits defeat and decides to call for backup. A few minutes later, Dimitri sits at the food court enjoying a pretzel when someone covers his eyes and giggles into his ear.

"Guess who?"

"Vika," Dimitri sighs annoyed putting down his pretzel. "I already know it's you. I called you, remember?"

"You're no fun," Viktoria pouts sitting across from him and tearing a piece of his pretzel for her. "Tell me what you got so far."

Dimitri runs her through his ideas all of them get a strong and profound 'no' from his youngest sister. He sighs and runs his hands through his hair which he had let down when he felt a headache coming. How can this be so hard? Dimitri knows Rose better than he knows himself. It shouldn't be so hard to find something she will like. But it can't be just anything. It must be special and mean something so that one day they can look back on this night and remember it fondly. Maybe when times get tough, this will be a moment they can recall to get them through it.

"I don't know, Vika," Dimitri groans as he leads Viktoria through the mall. "I'm drawing a blank."

"You're thinking too hard," Viktoria stops outside a jewelry store. "How about jewelry. You mention everything but this. Diamonds are a girl's best friend. As long as they're not blood diamonds." Viktoria adds.

"She's not the jewelry type," Dimitri protests as Viktoria pulls him into the store.

"She _is_ the jewelry type. I know and that's why you called me," Viktoria comments as she looks at the displays. "Of course, don't get her a ring. She'll panic thinking you're proposing. It's too soon. Don't get earrings; they feel impersonal. Bracelets might be okay though not as memorable. Definitely a pendant."

"This young lady knows what she's talking about," a sales lady approaches Dimitri and Viktoria. She's tall and wears a formal black dress to her knees. Her hair is up in a tight and impeccable bun. "I'm Kirova. How can I assist you?"

"My brother is looking for a pendant for a very special person to all of us," Viktoria grabs Dimitri's hand again and pulls him forward. "Show us every single one you have." Dimitri groans.

Several hours later and a couple of arguments, Dimitri and Viktoria agree on a pendant for Rose. With a smile and several thousand dollars lighter, Dimitri walks out of the jewelry store with Viktoria happily admiring the bracelet she managed to persuade Dimitri into buying her for being such a good sister. They walk a little more through the mall, and Dimitri buys lunch for them.

"How's everything going so far?" Viktoria asks as they sit to enjoy their food.

"It's going well," Dimitri nods with a wide smile on his lips. "Better than expected. I thought I'd have to work harder convincing her to give me a chance."

"She has loved you for a while," Viktoria says swallowing her bite of pizza.

"How would you know?" Dimitri chuckles.

"I'm not stupid," Viktoria rolls her eyes. "I see the way she looks at you and you look at her. It's obvious. I'm only surprised it took so long for you two to finally admit how you feel. I was beginning to think I was going to die of old age."

"You're dramatic. I'm guessing you approve, then?" Dimitri bites into his own slice as he waits for Viktoria to give him a 'but' like Olena.

"Of course!" She snorts. "Rose is awesome. I love her. We're all very happy for you two except for Paul. He's had a crush on Rose for a while. Oh, and Mama told us about your conversation last night. She was concerned you took her hesitation the wrong way. She just doesn't want you two to get hurt. She loves you both and wouldn't know what to do if this ended badly."

"If it ends badly, though it won't, we'll deal with this like adults. Rose wouldn't stay away from you guys if we couldn't make it work. She loves all of you."

"Just…" Viktoria pauses, and all playfulness leaves her face. "Just don't hurt each other, okay? Don't worry about how this could affect the family. Think about you two. You're both awesome people so loving and caring and kind and everything. It would be tragic if you two broke up and your beautiful friendship went to waste."

"I promise we won't hurt each other," Dimitri squeezes her hand reassuringly. "Now finish your food. I have to take you home and get ready for the party."

Viktoria chats away as Dimitri drives her home. He listens intently chiming in occasionally with agreement, a comment, or a joke at Viktoria's expense. Out of all his sisters, Dimitri feels closer with the youngest. She is a wild child, always has been, but her heart is kind, and she sees the best in people. As they pull up at Olena's house, Viktoria is finishing a story about their nephew, Paul. Dimitri stops listening when he sees a sleek, black Jaguar parked in front of Janine's house. With a frown, Dimitri parks on his mother's driveway.

"Get inside," he tells Viktoria. "I'm going to check on Janine."

"Why?" Viktoria asks perplexed looking around. Her eyes rest on the sports car. "Dimitri, no. What if she's on a date?"

"All the more reasons," Dimitri responds already getting out of the car. "I'll let them know Janine is not alone."

"Yeah and you'll totally cockblock her," Viktoria rolls her eyes, but does as she's told going inside.

Dimitri moves silently across the yard up to Janine's door. He looks in through the window but sees nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps Viktoria is right, and Janine is with someone. While Dimitri wants to make sure Rose's mother is okay, he doesn't want to ruin anything. Throughout the years, Dimitri never saw Janine bring anyone home or go out with anyone. Her priority was raising Rose, but now that Rose is out of the house making her way through the world, Janine deserves happiness. Determined to return to his mother's house, Dimitri turns around without knocking. However, the door opens as he's making his way down the steps.

"You look a little too old to be selling caramel corn, boy," the man standing on the doorway calls out to Dimitri. The man is tall, as tall as Dimitri, with black hair and a slight tan complexion. He wears an expensive and flashy suit with gold chains around his neck. If Dimitri didn't know any better, he'd say the man is a mobster. But it's the eyes that make Dimitri pause. He gazes into those eyes everyday when he looks at Rose. This man is no mobster. This man is Ibrahim Mazur.

"Abe," Janine calls from inside. "What are you doing?"

"Pavel called from the car," Abe calls over his shoulder. "He said there is a man lurking outside your house."

"Dimitri," Janine appears behind Abe, her eyes wide with panic.

"So, this is the man you were telling me about," Abe looks Dimitri, who is frozen in shock, up and down assessing him. Dimitri never expected to meet Rose's father. Hell, just yesterday morning, Abe was attempting to call Rose. Dimitri never imagined Abe would travel across the ocean because Rose didn't answer her phone. It wasn't the first time Rose ignored his calls.

"Dimitri," Janine begins cautiously. "Come inside, son."

"I'm fine right here," Dimitri finally regaining use of his body and mind stands up straighter. "What's he doing here?" He points at Abe.

"Oh, my apologies," Abe narrows his eyes. "I forgot to ask for your permission to visit my family."

"They aren't your family," Dimitri says through gritted teeth. He always advocated for Rose to try to give Abe a chance, but he didn't realize just how much he resented Abe for causing Rose so much pain. "They haven't been since you let them go."

"Dimitri," Janine calls sharply from the doorway. "Come inside. We shouldn't talk about this out here."

Dimitri shakes his head. "It's not me you need to talk to, Janine. It's Rose. She won't like this."

Without another word, Dimitri turns around and gets in his car. He pulls out of the driveway violently and makes a mental note to call his mother as soon as he calms down to explain why he didn't come in. He doesn't trust himself to be near the man who made Rose feel so damaged. Sure, Abe has tried to connect with Rose, but he never tried to see her before or after her graduation. Why now? As selfish as it may sound, Dimitri doesn't want his progress with Rose deterred because Abe decided to show up and be a father. Surely, this will set them back. His visit will make Rose relive unpleasant memories of her childhood. Even if he wants to, Dimitri decides it's not his place to tell Rose that Abe is in town. All Dimitri can do is be there for Rose when it all goes to hell if not as her lover, then as her friend.

Putting Abe out of his mind, Dimitri heads home to change. He's already running late when he pulls into Rose's apartment complex. But knowing Rose, she probably wouldn't have been ready by eight. Dimitri fidgets nervously as he stands outside her apartment. He tugs at the tie around his neck feeling strange in the penguin suit. Rose had helped him pick it out a long time ago. Funny how she procured he had something to wear before herself. Dimitri smiles fondly thinking of his Roza and how selfless she is. The smile fades quickly thinking how selfish he's being keeping Abe's presence a secret. With a sigh, he decides to tell her after tonight. He will not ruin their first night out as a couple; he didn't put on the uncomfortable suit for nothing. Without anymore hesitation, Dimitri lets himself in using the spare key Rose gave him.

The lights in the apartment are all off when Dimitri steps in. With a frown, he flips the switch by the kitchen on. It all looks the same when he left this morning. The dirty dishes from when he started making breakfast rest on the stove with the half-cooked bacon. The trash is full of the spilled vegetables and the take-out containers. With a shake of his head, Dimitri sets to cleaning the kitchen a little giving Rose more time to get ready. Once he's done loading the dishwasher, tying up the trash bag, and wiping the stove and counter down, Dimitri heads down the hall towards Rose's room. The light is also off.

His heart begins to beat faster, and he starts feeling uneasy noticing nothing out of place in her room. Usually there's a mountain of clothes and shoes on the floor and the bed when Rose gets ready to go out. It's as if she hasn't been here all day.

"Rose?" Dimitri calls out trying to keep himself calm. There's no way something happened to her. He should have checked on her throughout the day, but he wanted to leave her to spend some time with Sydney and focus on finding a dress. "Roza?"

He walks through the apartment calling her name. As a last resort, he peeks into Lissa's room. There's nothing out of place. Lissa is known for being tidy and organized. So, the lack of disorder doesn't surprise him. However, he finally hears her in Lissa's bathroom singing. Dimitri sighs relieved and chuckles. There's no reason to be paranoid. Where would Rose go? And even if she were to one day decide to disappear, Dimitri would find her.

He taps on the bathroom door before opening it. Dimitri's eyes grow wide and his jaw hits the floor as he gazes upon the beauty standing in front of him curling her hair. Rose stands cladded in a high rounded neckline, tight, red wine dress. It hugs her figure in the right places and falls to her knees modestly. Long sleeves frame the deep V exposing her sexy back.

"See something you like?" Rose disrupts Dimitri's impure thoughts as she turns to face him.

"Everything," Dimitri whispers his eyes traveling up and down her body taking her in.

Rose throws her head back and laughs pleased. Sydney was right. Dimitri has no idea what to do with himself. He stands awkwardly on the doorway staring at her with his mouth still hanging open. Rose lets him struggle as she continues to get ready. She unplugs the curling iron and sets it aside. She had decided to get ready in Lissa's bathroom as it is bigger and has everything she needs. Rose is pinning up her hair to keep it away from her face and show off her smoky eyes when she feels Dimitri's fingertips on her back.

She shivers pleasantly when his lips begin to trail kisses up and down her exposed back as his hands grip her hips. He pushes his growing erection against her pressing her against the sink trapping her between two hard things. He pushes her long curls to the side, and she tilts her head to the side giving him access to her neck where he leaves wet kisses and small bites. Rose inhales sharply when his fingers push the sleeves down her shoulders exposing more skin for him to kiss.

"We'll be late, comrade," Rose protests weakly when she hears him unbutton his pants. His now free erection resting against the flimsy fabric of her dress.

"We're already late," Dimitri murmurs against her right shoulder where he continues to kiss and bite her flesh. "But if you want me to stop, say so."

"Why would I do that?" Rose moans when Dimitri slowly lifts the fabric of the dress pulling it past her bottom.

"No panties?" Dimitri nods appreciatively. "Were you expecting this?"

"Expecting what, Dimitri?" Rose asks innocently turning her head to look into his eyes.

"This," he replies as he thrusts inside her. "God, you're so wet."

Rose gasps when he thrusts into her without warning. "I was expecting something like this, yes."

"Naughty, Roza." Dimitri whispers in her ear. "What am I to do with you?"

"You know what to do," Rose replies gripping the sink and parting her legs wider apart for him. "You know what I want."

"I want you to say it," Dimitri grips the soft flesh of her ass and squeezes. "Say it."

"I want… I want you to fuck me," Rose turns her face once again to look into his eyes, to let him see her desire. It's all she's been thinking about since getting the dress. She conjured a million scenarios of him taking her in the kitchen again, or in the car, or at the mayor's house during the party. But she wanted him to instigate; it turned her on so much when he did. It was so hard for her not to jump him when she saw him open the bathroom door and stood there in all his glory dressed in a black, silk suit. His ponytail tight at the nape of his neck. "I want you to fuck me. Make me scream your name."

"Such dirty words coming from your beautiful mouth," Dimitri groans as his cock twitches inside her. "But I didn't hear a single please."

Rose yelps when his palm slaps her ass. " _Please_."

"Please what, Roza?" Dimitri bites her shoulder as his hand caress her ass where he slapped her. "Say _it._ "

"Please, Dimitri. Fuck me. I want you… _Please._ "

"That's more like it," Dimitri slaps her ass once more before finally moving. He begins slow loving the feeling of her wetness around him, and the quiet moans escaping her red coated lips. That won't do. She wants to scream; he'll make her scream. As he pulls out, his palm connects with her ass once more. She yelps.

"Faster," Rose begs. "Harder. Please."

"As you command," Dimitri groans bending her completely over the sink. Her hands grip the edge when he starts pushing in and out of her harder and faster. His hands hold her by the waist pulling her against him in sync with his thrusts. Rose can't hold it back anymore her lips parting with screams that resemble his name and moans of pleasure. Her knuckles turn white as she grips the sink for dear life feeling her body tremble with her orgasm. Dimitri is not done. He keeps thrusting and pulling on her hips until he throws his head back and screams her name to the almighty and the whole world.

"I got something for you," Dimitri says pulling out the box from the pocket in his suit jacket.

"I didn't know we were supposed to get anything for each other," Rose pouts turning away from the mirror, where she was fixing her hair after the quick sex session, to face him.

"You did," Dimitri smiles grabbing her hand and pulling her against his chest. "You got me that sexy dress. I'm going to need you to wear it often."

"Oh?" Rose kisses his neck. "Does that mean you liked it?"

"I loved it," Dimitri says out of breath and closing his eyes as her lips continue kissing his neck. "Turn around."

"Again?" Rose asks incredulous her hands reaching down towards his bulge. "I know you're a stud, but I never expected you to be ready so soon."

"No, silly girl." Dimitri chuckles grabbing her hand pulling it against his lips and kissing her fingertips. "Turn around and close your eyes, so I can give you your gift."

"Oh," Rose blushes. She turns around and closes her eyes. "You didn't have to get me anything you know?"

"I know," Dimitri pushes her hair aside and kisses her exposed skin. He's far from a stud, but he knows if anyone will drive him wild, it's Rose. The simple feeling of her skin under his fingertips makes his heart race, breathing becomes harder. "I just wanted to get you something that will make you think of me."

"I always think of you," Rose whispers. "All day."

"Well," Dimitri unclasps the necklace putting it around her neck. "Now, I'm with you in your mind and heart." He clasps the necklace. "Open your eyes."

Rose does as she is told and the necklace around her neck takes her breath away. The chain is silver with the pendant in the shape of a crescent moon and a diamond star at the center. She runs her fingertips over the pendant.

"Thank you," she turns to face him. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Dimitri caresses her cheeks with his thumb. "I love you to the moon, to every star, dead or alive, and back. Don't forget that."

"I won't," Rose sighs contently leaning into his touch. "I love you just as much."

"No," Dimitri kisses her forehead. "Everything is a competition with you. I dare you to beat that. But for now, we must head out. We're very late."

Dimitri doesn't let Rose come up with a response and pulls her out of the bathroom and out of the apartment. Outside, Dimitri opens the door for Rose and goes around the car towards the driver side. He pauses and looks up and down the street. The street lights are on. One of them flickers but there's enough light. Dimitri doesn't see anything out of the ordinary; all is quiet in the neighborhood. Dimitri had researched the neighborhood extensively when he was helping Rose and Lissa find a home after college. He mapped it out in distance to the police station and hospital. If Dimitri need to get to Rose's apartment, he could be there in seven minutes exactly. He ran background checks on the neighbors and landlord. No way in hell would he let Rose and Lissa move into a neighborhood he didn't find fitting and safe. So, why did he feel so on edge? Why was his skin crawling and his gut twisting as if warning him?

"I thought you said we're late?" Rose opens the car door and calls out to him. "Come on, baby."

"Baby?" Dimitri chuckles as he gets into the car.

"That's what I'm going to call you. Or would you rather be called _the_ boyfriend?" Rose shuts the car door.

The man watched Dimitri and Rose come out with her hand interlaced through Dimitri's arm. The man's jaw twitched, and he balled his fists. Tonight was supposed to be the night he tried to get close to her. His obsession. How is he supposed to get close to her now? Dimitri won't let her out of his sight. The man shakes his head and pulls out of the neighborhood following Dimitri's black Camaro close enough. Perhaps he will get a chance, the man thinks. He can't give up just yet. If anything, the man might gather more intel into her. He'll learn everything he needs to about her. To make their time together more memorable.

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 **AN: I hope you liked the chapter. Sorry for the delay; too many distractions. Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favs. As always, I appreciate you all and the chance to share my writing with you.**


	7. Wolves

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Seven: Wolves

At the gate of the mayor's mansion, a security guard asks for an invitation which Dimitri procures in a cream-colored envelope with Tatiana Ivashkov's signature. They're waved through security and up the opulent driveway lined with white rose bushes leading to the main entrance to the mansion. Two valets dressed in black attire jump forward eagerly. One moves for Dimitri's door while the other opens the passenger side helping Rose exit the car. She stifles a laugh when the young man's mouth gapes at the sight of her in the red dress and long curls.

"Thank you," Dimitri smiles placing a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I will take it from here." He takes Rose's hand from the valet's and leads her up the stairs.

"Wolves," Dimitri shakes his head in amusement. "Wolves are out tonight."

Rose lets out a laugh as Dimitri leads her into the mansion. The foyer takes Rose's breath away her eyes lingering in the high ceiling with a crystal-clear chandelier hanging like a waterfall. The light reflects onto it like stars in the sky. People mingle in the foyer with a glass of champagne in their hands all dressed in beautiful attires. Dimitri and Rose follow the soft melody, a songstress singing of love, deeper into the house. The smell of hors d'oeuvres fill the air calling Rose's name. Her stomach makes a noise when she gazes upon the shrimp and salmon making their way around the room.

"Soon," Dimitri chuckles pulling her away from the food. "I have to find Tasha and the mayor."

"Why? I mean I get why the mayor, but Tasha? She's just going to ruin the night," Rose rolls her eyes grudgingly allowing Dimitri to lead her away from the only reason she agreed to come to this in the first place. Dimitri had promised her food when he asked her to go with him weeks ago.

"Just so she knows I'm here and will leave us alone the rest of the evening," Dimitri interlaces his fingers through hers and pauses to look into her eyes. "Then I am all yours."

"Okay," Rose replies breathlessly. The way he looks at her makes her knees feel weak and her heart to drum against her chest. "Lead the way."

They dive deeper into the party; Dimitri nodding and greeting to several of his colleagues. He stops just long enough to officially introduce Rose as his girlfriend and every time Rose can hear the pride in his voice, and the unmistakable butterflies in her stomach never cease. But by the time they find the mayor, Rose is over the whole evening. She just wants to eat, drink, and take her Russian God home where she can ravage his body for the rest of the night. But his duties call him, and she must play the part. That's what girlfriends do, right? Suddenly, Rose is unsure how to act. As Dimitri pulls her towards the mayor, who is chatting animatedly with a group of important looking people, Rose feels her body sweating through the flimsy fabric of her dress.

Before accepting Dimitri, Rose didn't care much for this event. Sure, she is glad the mayor is attempting to procure funds to help families who lost their loved ones in active duty. But Rose knows it is mostly a show. Tatiana Ivashkov knows how to play the crowd; she's a politician with her eyes set on her goal. Rumors had been going around for a while that Tatiana would run for governor when elections came around once again. Rose thinks a simple dinner would have done just fine. No chandeliers in every room, expensive floral arrangements, and champagne flowing freely. Is there really such a need for this ostentatious party? Yes. She knows the answer as she looks around at the politicians mingling. She could tell the difference between humble police and rich politicians or business men. It is in the way they speak and hold themselves with an air of superiority. This party isn't just for the families, this is for Tatiana to procure future funds for her race. But as Dimitri's girlfriend, Rose must behave.

"Madame Mayor," Dimitri extends his hand out for Tatiana to shake.

"Oh," Tatiana exclaims waving his hand aside. Instead, she opens her arms motioning him forward for a hug. "There he is. The man of the hour, Detective Belikov. Thank you for joining us and thank you for catching the killer hurting our women."

"It was a group effort," Dimitri replies trying to keep his tone light.

"So modest," Tasha walks up behind him putting her hand on his shoulder. "Tell them how you did everything and _more_ to catch the killer." Her eyes linger on Rose's hand in Dimitri's. "Hello, Rose."

"Tasha," Rose gives her a tight smile but says nothing else though she could say much more. Rose could mention how Tasha tried to thwart Dimitri's efforts, so she could steal the thunder. But Rose must play nice. For Dimitri.

"Who is this young lady?" Tatiana turns her attention to Rose.

"This is my girlfriend, Rose Hathaway," Dimitri says relieved and more than happy to shift the attention to the beautiful woman holding his hand tightly. He knows she's trying so hard to keep her thoughts to herself. "She is a nurse at Massachusetts General."

"Oh," Tatiana nods appreciatively. "My nephew is a doctor there. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

"Doctor Ivashkov?" Rose exclaims excitedly causing Dimitri to frown. "Of course! I've worked with him. He's one of the best."

"Oh darling," Tatiana chuckles clutching the pearls around her neck. "You mean _the_ best. So sad he is leaving."

"Leaving?" Rose frowns and her smile fades. "I didn't know. Where is he going?"

"I thought you knew," Tatiana sips her champagne. "Though it is not my place to speak of it, but I can hardly keep the excitement to myself. He has been offered a position as director at Brigham Hospital. It is such an honor since he is so young, but they recognize talent when they see it. I did wish he would stay in Massachusetts General, but he has fallen in love with one of the nurses. He can hardly stay there; it is unethical. But there is not much I can say."

"Oh," Rose blushes and shifts uncomfortably. In her mind, Adrian's attention begins to suddenly mean more. Is he transferring because of her? Is he going to try to make a move tonight? She's with Dimitri. How is she going to explain herself to both, Dimitri and Adrian? She shouldn't have been flirting with Adrian.

"How long have you two been dating?" Tatiana asks a little flustered she just told a nurse who works with Adrian his life story. She had promised to keep Adrian's private life to herself until he's ready to reveal the identify of the mysterious nurse he's so in love with he'd throw away working for the number one hospital in the state.

"A couple of days," Dimitri responds when Rose remains quiet.

"So, you're in the honeymoon phase," Tasha downs her champagne. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

"Very true," Tatian nods. "Before all the fights and you notice how incompatible it turns out you are. I am currently on my second divorce, I know."

Several people laugh. "Well, it's a good thing we're not married yet." Dimitri chuckles uncomfortably. "We have been friends since childhood, so I think our chances are pretty high."

Dimitri notices Rose's hand sweating profusely in his. He steers the conversation to other topics until he can no longer take Rose's silence and excuses themselves. Rose stammers out a goodbye as Dimitri leads her away from Tasha and Tatiana. He takes her to the dance floor where several couples dance to a slow melody. He places her hand on his shoulder and splays his palm on her lower back possessively pulling her firmly against him.

"What's wrong, Roza?" He whispers in her ear.

"Nothing," she replies shaking her head as if to rid her mind of all the thoughts darkening her mood and ruining the night.

"I know you better," Dimitri spins them around. "Talk to me. You don't have to hide what you really think from me. I can tell you're pretending to be something you're not."

"I just…" Rose sighs. He's right. She has been worried about saying the wrong thing and embarrassing him. But hard as she tries, she can't recall a time he's ever said he's embarrassed by the lack of filter in her mouth. "I feel so out of place. I don't understand why this is necessary. I mean, I get we're trying to get money from all these people, but I feel Tatiana's motives aren't so noble."

"Why not?" Dimitri continues to move them to the rythm of the piano and violins.

"I don't know," she shrugs.

"That's not it," he grabs her chin with his thumb and forefinger tilting her head up to look into her eyes. "Tell me what else is on your mind. You grew awfully quiet when Tatiana's nephew was brought up. What happened there?" Dimitri notices a hint of jealousy and possessiveness in his tone.

"I work with him. I didn't know he was leaving that's all," Rose bites her lower lip. "He may or may not be in love with me…"

"Oh?" is all Dimitri says when Rose doesn't continue.

"This was before we started dating," Rose continues speaking fast wanting to get it over with. Honesty, she's been told is vital in relationships which makes sense. And she wants her relationship to work so bad. "I flirted with him a little…"

"Mind if I cut in?" Galina taps Dimitri's shoulder. She wears a metallic, one shoulder, long sleeved gown with snake print and a high slit on the front.

"We do," Dimitri grunts turning to barely spare Galina a look.

"It's okay, Comrade," Rose caresses his cheek with her palm. "I'm going to powder my nose." She turns to Galina. "What a beautiful gown, Galina. Very fitting. Now you're snake on the outside, too"

Dimitri stifles a laugh as he watches her walk away. That's more like the Rose he knows and loves. He grows somber and frowns as he watches her move through the crowd. The men do double takes watching her gliding through the room pushing a lose curl behind her ear. The women are green with jealousy as their companions keep drooling after Rose. It's not a surprise Rose draws the attention of everyone when she walks in a room. She is the epitome of beauty and sexiness. Though Dimitri wants nothing more than to hide Rose from those without noble intentions, he can't be possessive. It's not what Rose needs but hearing that another man might be attempting to steal her affections makes Dimitri want to punch a wall. But he must hold off on punching any walls and hear the full story when Rose returns. Galina clears her throat demanding his attention. She steps into Dimitri's arms her hands roaming his chest imagining the hard muscles under the suit. Uncomfortable but knowing he must be a diplomat, Dimitri makes sure to keep a distance between the two as they dance.

"Feisty," Galina comments dryly. "Or should I say immature."

"Is this why you interrupted us? To insult my girlfriend?" Dimitri raises an eyebrow.

"Girlfriend?" Galina repeats raising her voice in surprise. "Just yesterday, she was your dear, close friend. You two move fast."

"I don't need your commentary," Dimitri sighs already wishing Rose hadn't left. He almost wishes he hadn't picked this night to be their first night out as a couple. They should have skipped this party and gone to the movies or dinner. Somewhere more private away from everyone who seems to think they can voice their opinion about their relationship.

"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you," Galina shrugs stepping closer into Dimitri's embrace pushing his hand lower on her back, keeping it there. "Also, don't say I didn't tell you how much fun you and I could have. I can do things to you…"

"Rose is the only one that can do things to me," Dimitri roughly removes his hand from her back and steps away from her. "She's the only one I want. What does it take to make you understand that?"

Without another word, Dimitri sets out to find Rose. After asking a couple people, Rose finds a bathroom. She locks the door behind her and looks in the mirror. Her lipstick is faded thanks to the champagne she managed to snatch on her way to the bathroom. She's going to need more champagne or something stronger to get her through the night. So far, she hasn't seen Adrian, but the night is young, and it's possible he will be here soon. She just hopes this doesn't ruin his night with Dimitri. As if she needs more reasons to make people question their relationship. What Tatiana and Tasha said struck a nerve in Rose. How long before the honeymoon phase is gone, and Dimitri and Rose are at each other's throats? How long before they turn into her parents?

"It doesn't have to be this way," Rose tells her reflection. "We can make it work. We are _not_ my parents." She digs through her clutch for her lipstick and reapplies before heading back out.

Out on the dance floor, she no longer sees Dimitri. She moves from room to room snatching hors d'oeuvres and champagne along the way. She stops to admire a painting of Boston's harbor in the 1800s. Munching on a fingerling with smoked salmon and avocado, Rose doesn't notice the man slowly approaching her from down the hall. He looks her up and down, his eyes lingering on her ass. He howls startling Rose causing her to almost drop her food. She turns to face him her eyes immediately rolling to the back of her head in annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" She sighs crossing her arms over her chest.

"Same thing you are. Enjoying the party, writing checks, and all that boring shit." Once again, the man howls. "You are looking good, Rosie."

"Thanks, Jesse," she rolls her eyes again and makes her way back to the party. "I will see you at our high school reunion."

"Oh, come on," Jesse grabs her by the wrist pulling her back abruptly causing her to stumble into his arms. "Why don't we have our own reunion? Relieve the good old days. You remember, right? Sneaking into coach Petrov's office to make out in eleventh grade?"

"Yeah, I rather forget that," she tries to push away from him, but he holds her in place. "Let go."

"Why would you want to forget? We were so _close_." He licks his lips as his hand sneaks behind the back of her head tangling his fingers in her long locks. "Let's get reacquainted. You still like it when I bite your neck?" He pulls her head exposing her neck to him.

"Jesse," she fists her hands and tries to push away from him again. "I said _let go_."

"Let her go, Zeklos," Dimitri stands a looming figure in the hall. His hands are fisted at his sides, and his eyes burn with hatred as Jesse holds Rose against him. "Don't make me break your arm again."

"Belikov," Jesse removes his hands from Rose. She quickly makes her way to Dimitri. He throws his arm around her. "I forgot you're always there like a fucking lap dog."

"Watch it," Rose's chest raises and falls rapidly. "He's a detective now. He can make your life hell."

"Yeah, I heard," Jesse smooths his hair and smiles. "He's the one who should watch it. My family and I donate a lot of money to this thing. He wouldn't want us to pull our support for the police department because he threatened me."

"I didn't threaten you, Zeklos," Dimitri growls. "I'm simply reliving the good old days as you put it. Now, scram before I have you arrested for harassment."

"She asked for it," Jesse says hotly pointing at Rose. "You may not believe it, but Rose is no saint. She's always flaunting it. Whatever she gets, she deserves."

One second, Dimitri is next to Rose and the next he's holding Jesse up by the throat. Dimitri holds Jesse against the wall, his large hand wrapped around Jesse's throat. Jesse struggles to breathe as Dimitri gets on his face. Rose looks around panicked hoping no one will notice the exchange. She moves towards Dimitri.

"Stay back, Roza," Dimitri growls. "This is long overdue. I tried to stay calm, Zeklos." Dimitri chuckles humorlessly. "You always did like to test me, so I dare you. Say something else about Rose, and I will break every fucking bone in your worthless body. I will start with your fingers. Now get out of here before you find yourself with five kilos of cocaine in your trunk."

Dimitri releases Jesse, who scrambles to his feet coughing violently before disappearing down the hall Dimitri came from. Fuming, Dimitri pulls Rose into his arms breathing in her scent and letting her arms wrap around his torso. Slowly, his breathing becomes more even, and he finally pulls away to look at Rose. She doesn't look harmed in any way just shook.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri places his hands on each side of her face holding her gently. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm okay," she sniffs and pushes the tears back. She has never been treated that way before. It's scary to think if Dimitri hadn't come along, who knows what Jesse would have done. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Dimitri cuts her off perplexed.

"He's right. I do get into situations. I could have gotten you in trouble. I mean his family is really powerful. You could be fired for threatening him." She avoids eye contact once again thinking of her flirting with Adrian and her past indiscretions with Jesse when they were in high school. She has a knack for getting in trouble with men it seems.

"It's not your fault. Look at me, Rose." Dimitri wipes a tear Rose didn't realize had escaped. "You didn't do anything wrong. Come on. I'll take you home."

"No," Rose takes a deep breath. "I'm okay. We can't let him ruin this for us. Or Galina. Or anybody. This is our first night out. We can still save it."

"Okay," he concedes after looking into her eyes for a few minutes trying to decipher her emotions. "Let's go join the party. Sydney just arrived, too."

"Sydney?" Rose frowns and follows Dimitri back into the crowd.

Soon enough, Rose recognizes Sydney's golden mane in a braid cascading down the indigo gown Rose helped her pick out earlier. Next to her stands a tall man with tousled hair. His hand rests respectfully on Sydney's upper back as they converse with Tatiana. Rose takes lead as she moves towards Sydney. Rose's heart beats fast in her chest when she taps Sydney on the shoulder. Her and her companion turn to Rose. Just as she suspected, Sydney's secret boyfriend turns out to be Adrian Ivashkov.

"What the hell?" Rose says out of breath. "Sydney, would you care to explain?"

"Rose," Sydney blushes dropping her eyes. "I… Can we talk somewhere else?"

"Sure," Rose snaps and turns her eyes to Adrian. "Good to see you, doc."

The ladies make their way to a nearby sofa where they sit in silence for a few minutes. Rose tries to calm her breathing as several things run through her mind. Mostly, she feels shame. She assumed Adrian had been flirting with her. She assumed it was because of her he had decided to transfer! All those times Rose felt Adrian's eyes, they weren't on her. They were on Sydney. Rose covers her lips with her hands as she begins to laugh humorlessly.

"I wanted to tell you," Sydney begins worriedly her eyes on Rose's hand covering her mouth. "We couldn't share with anyone our relationship. It's not allowed for a doctor to date a nurse. We had to wait until he secured a position somewhere else…"

"I heard," Rose says through the laughter. "Congratulations to the doc. Now you can finally be honest with your _friends_."

"I'm sorry," Sydney closes her eyes at the way Rose spits out the word friends. "I really wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."

"Right. Because you couldn't trust your friends to keep this secret for you? Lissa and I tell you everything. How could you?" Rose shakes her head unable to comprehend how Sydney could hide this for so long. Never mind the embarrassment Rose is feeling now for pretentiously assuming Adrian was after her. What hurts Rose more is that Sydney didn't think she could be trusted.

"I don't know what to say," Sydney sighs rubbing her sweaty palms on her dress. She didn't know Adrian was going to bring her to this party. If she had known, she would have told Rose of her relationship with Adrian before coming here instead of letting her find out like this. She and Adrian had been so careful to keep a distance at work. "I love him, and he loves me. Can you just be happy for me?"

"Sure," Rose snorts getting to her feet. "I'm happy for you, Syd. Enjoy the rest of your night, _friend_."

Without another glance, Rose stomps away her eyes already searching for Dimitri. She couldn't wait to get out of there. In fact, she couldn't wait to tell Dimitri everything. They are surely going to have a laugh about the whole situation. Her eyes fall on Adrian talking with Tatiana. He notices Rose looking and waves. Rose flips him off and stalks away from the crowd. She decides to find a quiet spot to sit and call Dimitri. There's no reason for her to be searching for him and risking running into Sydney, Adrian, or Jesse again. Dimitri could just come to her.

Making her way through the mansion with her eyes fixed on her phone as she composes a text to Dimitri, Rose hears voices nearby. Galina. Rose rolls her eyes and is about to change directions when she hears Dimitri's voice as well. Rose drops her phone back in her clutch following the sound of voices.

"- it doesn't match," Galina says. "Someone wants to sabotage your case, detective."

"Tasha," Dimitri runs his hands through his hair. "It has to be Tasha. No wonder she is so eager to put this case to rest. I didn't know she wanted the case so badly."

"Doesn't matter. Alto will investigate later. What's important now," Galina moves close to Dimitri pushing a loose lock of hair behind his ear. "Your killer is still on the loose."

Dimitri clears his throat standing up straighter. "Thanks for the heads up, Galina."

"Of course, darling," her hands run over his chest. "We have to stick together, you and I. We could be the ultimate dream team. A power couple. Think of what we can accomplish if you just drop the nurse."

"Galina," Dimitri grabs her by the wrists and pushes her back. "Not this again. I don't understand your obsession…"

"Oh, can't you?" Galina pulls away from his hold. "I have shown interest from the beginning, and you have never given me the time of day. I know it's because of Rose now. But how can I compare to her?"

"Exactly," Dimitri says making for the door. "You don't. She is everything."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Galina rushes forward and pulls Dimitri by the hand. He spins around to once again tell her to back off. The sleeve of her dress is pushed down exposing her breasts to him. Caught off guard, Galina takes advantage of his shock guiding his hand to her breast. "I am much more than her. Come and find out for yourself."

She claims his lips just as Rose opens the door catching Dimitri with his hand on Galina's breast and his lips on hers. And that is the last straw for the night. Without saying anything, Rose turns around and slams the door shut. Dimitri regains control of his brain. He pushes Galina away and storms out of the room knowing full well Rose caught him in a compromising position. He scans the room searching for the red of her dress. He spots Sydney dancing with Tatiana's nephew.

"Sydney," Dimitri taps her shoulder gently. "I'm sorry to interrupt. Have you seen Rose?"

"No," Sydney frowns. "I assumed she went to find you. We, uh, we argued, and she just walked away."

"Thanks," Dimitri murmurs as he continues scanning the crowd.

Doubtful she will linger in the party, Dimitri goes outside asking guests along the way if they have seen Rose. They all shake their heads. Once outside, the valets tell him the same thing. It's like Rose has vanished and no one has seen her. Dimitri tries her cellphone, but it sends him to voicemail after a couple rings. Desperate, he heads back inside determined to search every single room and find her. If no one has seen her leave, then she must be hiding in one of the mayor's many rooms.

Rose snuck out while the valets were smoking. No one at the gate paid her any mind either as she made her way out of the mayor's grounds. She thought the guards would stop her to ask questions considering she sniffed and wiped the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. This wasn't how Rose expected to end her night. She expected to drink more champagne, eat more shrimp and salmon, dance and laugh with Dimitri until her feet couldn't hold her up anymore. Dimitri would carry her up to her apartment, and he would either have her way with her or tuck her in. Rose didn't expect betrayal from her friend or boyfriend.

Her heart broke in her chest while her mind kept repeating over and over again, 'I told you so.' It had told her this couldn't end well. There are too many things against her and Dimitri being together. Her past growing up in a dysfunctional family, and the fact that every woman in the planet want him. She doesn't have the energy to fight every single one of them especially if Dimitri isn't willing to fight by her side. Because how else is he going to explain his hand on another woman's breast? Honestly, Rose can't wait for tomorrow to hear how Dimitri accidentally must have fallen on Galina's bare chest. How could Rose be so stupid to think she could function in a relationship? That they could make it work?

Stifling the sobs wrecking her body with her hand, Rose walks through the quiet streets. A slight breeze ruffles her hair and makes her shiver. Or perhaps is the pair of eyes watching her from a distance that makes the hairs on her arms stand up. Rose pauses and looks around. She sees nothing out of the ordinary. In the distance, she can hear the music from the mayor's mansion. A couple cars drive by, a dog barks in the distance, and a trash can falls over somewhere nearby. Her hand instinctively reaches for the necklace around her neck. She grips the crescent moon in her hand as she resumes her walking this time berating herself for leaving on her own without a word to anyone. She should send a message to Dimitri to pick her up. She can duck into the nearest bar and wait for Dimitri to come to the rescue again. But just thinking of him with his hand on Galina's breast kissing her makes her so mad and hurt. Just call him, her brain tells her over and over. She can give him the silent treatment as he takes her safely home. Her pride wins out and she picks up her pace still clutching the necklace.

Out of nowhere, an arm wraps around Rose's neck, the hand pressing a rag to her mouth as she's pulled out of the light of a lamp post into the darkness of a nearby alley. Rose struggles to pull away, but her reflexes are impaired slightly by alcohol and the strong smell of whatever is on the rag. Chloroform, Rose realizes as her eyelids drop heavily and her body loses all energy to fight the human abducting her. With her last moments of consciousness, Rose calls out Dimitri's name, but it comes out muffled by the rag over her mouth. Tears run down her cheeks as she realizes she may never be found. Dimitri won't know where to even look. Her body will one day be found in this alley lifeless, and her only regret is to have left Dimitri like she did. She should have called him. She should have swallowed her pride and talked to him. Now, she is going to pay the price of her stubbornness.

The man usually doesn't do the heavy lifting. He had someone for that. Grunting, he lets Rose fall limply to the ground. Out of a nearby trashcan, he pulls out his bag and out of it grabs a couple zip ties. He sets to work on Rose's wrists tying the ties behind her back followed by her feet. Out of the bag, he also pulls out a rag to wrap around her mouth and a pillowcase to put over her head with a hole cut so she can breathe. The last thing he would want would be for her to suffocate before they have time to have fun.

He hadn't expected to act tonight, but when he saw her leave the party alone, he couldn't pass the opportunity. Who knows if he would ever have another chance like this? He followed her at a distance making sure the detective didn't follow her. He almost got caught when, in his hunt, knocked over a trash can. Grunting, he drags Rose behind a dumpster where he hides her while he goes to get the car. Honestly, he never realized how much work it was to procure the prey. If he had known, perhaps he would have appreciated Isaiah a little more. He parks the car as close to the alley as possible and struggles to pick Rose up in his arms. He tosses her in the trunk and pulls away. He can hardly contain his excitement as he drives through the streets of Boston towards his secret place. He lets out a howl followed by deranged laughter. He finally has her.

Dimitri stumbles into Rose's apartment. In his desperation, he had driven all night searching for her until he realized perhaps she made it home safely. Rose is smart. She probably called a taxi or her mother. Rose is safe at home, surely. The lights are all off when Dimitri practically knocks the door down calling her name. He will take her wrath for waking her and for allowing himself to be entangled by Galina. He will take her eyes full of hurt and anger just as long as she is safely in her bed wearing his shirt and her wild hair sticking everywhere. The bed looks the same as earlier. Dimitri reminds himself not to panic. Rose is in Lissa's bed. Lissa's bed remains untouched, however. It is then Dimitri must do the unthinkable.

"Sorry to wake you, Janine," Dimitri's voice shakes on the phone. "I was just wondering if Rose came home to you."

"No," Janine replies all sleep leaving her voice. "I thought she was at the party with you?"

"Yes," Dimitri clears his throat. "I… I can't find her. I don't know where Rose is."

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 **AN: A couple of things to say. First, as always, thank you for your reviews, favs and follows. Second, a lot of things happened in this chapter. I do feel sometimes it's rushed, but when I started this story, I never expected it to stretch so far. Having said that, it brings me to the third thing. The story is coming to a close in the next four chapters or so? For the mean time, no lemons since things are getting serious. Which brings me to the last thing. Rose will NOT be raped. I've been asked not to let it happen, and I promise I will not. I cannot write stuff like that, and I will not subject my readers or characters to that type of torture. Only reason why I mentioned violence in the description is because we all know that when Dimitri finds Rose, our kidnapper is going to get it lol. Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the lengthy AN, but I had to get some things out of the way. Also, call me predictable, but some of you already know what's going to happen next, but I do love it when my readers figure it out. Thanks once more for reading and allowing me to share this story with you.**


	8. No Sound but The Wind

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Eight: No Sound but The Wind

 ***WARNING: this chapter may contain violent themes of assault. Look for ** for beginning of traumatic events.**

First, there is the persistent and throbbing pain. Her head threatens to explode with every abrupt movement. Movement. She's constantly moving, bouncing and sliding in the confined space. Confined and restrained. Her wrists are tied as are her ankles preventing her from stretching her sore muscles. Breathing becomes harder and harder as she begins to awaken. But all she sees is absolute darkness. She tries to call out and realizes her pleas are muffled by something in her mouth. There's a sickening feeling in her stomach as she tries to make sense of where she is. How did she get here? What happened last night? Is it still night?

Rose whimpers as her head collides with something making her migraine worse. How much did she drink? She can hardly remember the last time she felt this sick after drinking so much. But this doesn't feel right. The lack of memories from the previous night terrify Rose the most. Surely, the memories are there; they are simply chaotic and incoherent. Rose chants to herself over and over to calm down. To breathe. But the air seems to thin every time she reminds herself to inhale and exhale. There's not enough air. It soon becomes apparent she's not in her bed. The first hint was the restraints on her wrists and ankles. She tried to dismiss as numbness from sleeping in a wrong and uncomfortable position. However, the darkness gave it away. Rose is not afraid of the darkness by any means, but she did always sleep with a night light on. Only because her room is a hazardous place with clothes, shoes, and empty take out container scattered all over the floor. Every time she gets home from a late shift, there's a risk of falling and breaking her neck, so Rose always leaves her light on.

But through all that, Rose knows deep inside something happened. There's an image of a dark alley and an arm around her neck that keeps pushing through her incoherent thoughts. Once more, she tries to calm herself enough to retrace her steps. To recall the night from beginning to end. A red dress. Dimitri in a suit. Bathroom. Champagne. Jesse. Dimitri kissing Galina. Walking through the streets on her own and… Rose can't finish the memory. She begins to hyperventilate as the shock of what just happened pulls her out of her lethargic state. Someone has abducted her. No one has any idea of it either. Rose had been stupid enough to leave the party without telling anyone. _Whatever she gets, she deserves_ , Jesse's nasty words echo back to her in that moment. Rose should have texted Dimitri before leaving, or she should have called a taxi if she was that mad at him. She's no longer mad at him. Dimitri wouldn't purposely hurt her by kissing Galina. Rose has seen first-hand Galina flirt shamelessly with him. If only Rose had stayed to hear an explanation, she wouldn't be in this mess. Perhaps she does deserve it.

The vehicle comes to an abrupt stop, and Rose tries her best to push deeper into the trunk as if to hide from her abductor. However, the car moves forward once more before stopping again. This time, Rose hears footsteps crunching gravel moving closer. She breathes hard and fast, her headache hitting her full force. She feels consciousness slipping away from her with the lack of oxygen and her still foggy mind. The trunk pops open startling her when a hand reaches for her ankles. Rose kicks and shouts into the rag around her mouth. Despite being weak and perhaps drugged, Rose vows she won't give up. If the abductor wants her for nefarious purposes, whatever they are Rose refuses to imagine, she will not make it easy for them.

Her bare feet must have hit an important spot because the man curses under his breath. Rose's victory is short lived when the man leans forward grabbing the pillow case over her head with a fistful of hair and pulls her toward him.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he tugs at her hair. Rose swallows to keep from yelping in pain. "Either way, missy, you will come with me."

Rose wishes she wasn't gagged. The expletives coming out of her lips don't sound threatening when they come out muffled. Regardless, the man must catch some of what she's saying because he chuckles humorlessly.

"The hard way it is," the man says roughly pulling Rose by the armpit out of the trunk. "I wouldn't have expected it any other way. There's a reason I picked you."

Rose doesn't ponder his words for long before she falls unceremoniously and hard on the ground. Her tied and weak legs don't hold her up, and the man doesn't even try to soften her fall, why would he? Her knees take the hit when the pebbles and rocks bury in her soft and bare flesh. Rose berates herself when a small groan escapes.

"Come with me on my terms, and I won't hurt you…" the man pauses then laughs evilly. "Too much. I won't hurt you too much leading up to our fun. I'd hate for those sexy legs to get all scraped up."

Rose once more tells him to fuck off. The man grabs her by the armpit again and begins to drag her away from the car. The gravel digs and scratches her legs causing Rose to whimper in pain. She shouldn't have worn a dress. She shouldn't have been at that party. She shouldn't have left the party alone. Now, she's paying the consequences. The man grunts as he lifts her up onto a cold and hard surface. Before she can think of rolling off, the man straps her legs and Rose cries out as the straps dig the pebbles in deeper.

"I told you," the man says out of breath as he cuts the ties around her ankles now that she's restrained by something else. "I told you either way, you would end up here with me. Now, look at you. Bleeding and hurting. This will put a damper on our fun."

The last of his words come out angry but also with a hint of malicious delight. If he intends to rape her, Rose stands no chance now. He has her strapped to a table. However, when he cuts the ties on her wrists, Rose still fights. Despite her entire body feeling heavy and weak, she swings at him blindly. Rose grabs a fistful of his hair as he works on tying her right arm down. He curses and works on untangling her fingers from his hair. It doesn't take long or a lot of effort. Despite her noble efforts, he's stronger, and whatever he used to drug her, hasn't left her system completely.

"You are certainly making me work for it," he sighs leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I hope it's worth it. All the fighting and struggling. You're just wasting your energy. The chloroform left you weak. I doubt you're completely aware of what's going on. By the time you realize it, it'll be too late. Hell, it's already too late. You're strapped down. No one knows where you are. We're ready to have fun."

Rose feels the tears spilling from her eyes. Even though she vowed not to give up, his words break something inside her. The hope and energy to fight seem to slip away through her fingers. She hears his footsteps move away, and she can only imagine where's gone to. Perhaps he went to find an infernal tool to torture her. Whatever it is, he doesn't return right away. In her solitude, Rose tortures herself with terrible thoughts.

In third grade, Rose had put gum in Natalie Dashkovs hair because she had made fun of Rose's haircut. To be fair, Rose had never wanted Janine to cut her hair. It has always been Rose's favorite attribute her long locks. Natalie deserved it, and Rose didn't even mean her apology when the teacher made her apologize. Before Mia and Rose became friends in middle school, Rose had pushed Mia for making fun of Lissa's name. Rose kept her mother in the dark with her underage drinking. One time in college, Rose tried weed with Christian and Lissa. The three of them agreed never again when Dimitri found out and made them promise not to do it. Rose can't remember the times she's lied even though she has tried being honest most of the time. She took money from Janine's purse once to buy ice cream. She cheated once in a chemistry test. She has run multiple red lights. If those are the worst things Rose has done throughout her life, does she really deserve this?

Does she deserve not knowing her fate? Not knowing what this man will do to her? Harvest her organs after he's gotten his way with her multiples times and dump her lifeless and mangled body in the harbor? Do her loved ones deserve the pain of not knowing where she's gone and perhaps never find her body? Is it better if they find her body? Janine will be destroyed, and Rose can only hope Abe will be there for her. Olena and the Belikovas will surely be there for Janine, but they won't truly understand what Janine is going through like Abe. Will Lissa and Christian come back to the news Rose is dead? Lissa and Sydney will have to get through the loss somehow. And Sydney. Rose wishes she had handled the situation with her much better. Rose should have just been happy Sydney found Adrian after the way Sydney's ex-boyfriend abused her. If anyone deserves happiness, it's Sydney.

Dimitri. Oh, Dimitri, Rose thinks as her tears flow like waterfalls. What she wouldn't give to go back to that moment. She would have pulled Dimitri away and slapped Galina. Rose had sworn she would fight for her relationship, for her love for Dimitri, and she just gave up so easily. And now, she won't see Dimitri again. He's going to blame himself, Rose knows, and it hurts her more than her scrapped legs, her migraine, and whatever else the man will do to her. The thought of Dimitri despairing in guilt and pain makes her heart ache, and the sobs to wreck her body.

"Oh, don't cry, Rose," the man has returned though Rose in her pity party didn't hear him. "You will enjoy this, I promise."

Suddenly, bright lights blind her tear-filled eyes. Rose blinks rapidly and does her best to adjust to the abundant light after being in darkness for so long. First, she sees the lamp above her. She looks to her left and to her right. There's no furniture as far as she can see only four walls. The man comes into her view, and she feels all the air leave her lungs. He simply smiles taking in her surprise and fear.

"Hello, nurse" he kisses her lips roughly.

Darkness dances in Rose's vision as the shock and disgust hit her full force. She squirms trying to shake his lips, but he holds her in place with his hand buried in her hair. Rose hears the wind before she faints.

* * *

Dimitri stands in an alley. The sun has risen from its slumber, and the wind whips around Dimitri ruffling his hair wildly. His hands shake as he holds Rose's clutch in them. The only evidence of the crime. Officers move around him as they ask questions, look through garbage, and under trashcans for more evidence on where Rose is or who took her. Dimitri knows they won't find anything else. Whoever took Rose is smarter than that. Dimitri has been chasing him for a long time with no hope of catching him. This time, however, the killer has made it personal. The killer has taken Rose, and Dimitri will not rest until he brings her home safely.

Out of Rose's clutch, Dimitri pulls out her phone and turns it on. The screen takes him to the last thing Rose did. She was writing a text to him. _I want to go home. Please_. She had written but never hit the send button. If Dimitri hadn't followed Galina, so they could talk, if he had stayed in the ball room with Rose in his line of vision, none of this would have happened. And if he hadn't let Galina catch him by surprise, Rose would have sent her message. Dimitri curses in Russian and pushes the phone back in the clutch. Many times, Galina made advances, and Dimitri never used enough force to put a stop to it. When he brings Rose home, he will reassure her that Galina won't bother them again. He will quit his job if he must. Whatever it takes to make Rose happy. But first, he has a killer to catch.

Dimitri makes his way back to his car knowing there's nothing else for him to do. After calling Janine, they called every single one of Rose's friends and coworkers. No one knew anything, no one had seen her, so Dimitri called Eddie and his friends at the station. They put out an alert for all of Boston to call if they had seen Rose. A lady came in eventually and informed the police she saw a young woman walking on Union Street by herself. The cops were ready to dismiss the lady when they realized she was still intoxicated, but Dimitri ordered a team to investigate. That's how they found it was here Rose was taken.

Dimitri drives back to the station where his first suspect awaits. He had ordered Eddie to bring Jesse Zeklos in for questioning, and Dimitri let Jesse spend a couple of hours detained until he checked out the lead on Union Street. When he arrives at the station, Tasha ambushes him.

"You can't hold Jesse Zeklos," she begins cautiously. Dimitri has been a ticking time bomb. When he demanded the police investigate right away the disappearance of Rose, Tasha had tried to tell him to wait.

"She's probably gone out to drink," Tasha had said to Dimitri.

"I know Rose," Dimitri had growled and paced in Tasha's office. "She wouldn't go anywhere without telling me."

"For what I hear, you two aren't in the best of terms," Tasha sighed and went around to meet Dimitri.

"It doesn't matter. She would have told me," Dimitri pleaded and shook Tasha's hand away when she tried to placate him. "I don't know what your problem is with me, Tasha, but you won't put Rose's safety on the line to get back at me. I went behind your back on this case because I knew better. The killer's still alive, and he has Rose."

"It's not his M.O." Tasha argued. "He takes college, intoxicated girls. Girls who are easy to manage. Rose is not any of those things. She's smart and strong. I have nothing against you or Rose, Dimitri. I don't want you to ruin your career is all."

"To hell with my career!" Dimitri threw a chair across Tasha's office. "My fucking career is not my priority. Rose is. Now, give me the resources to catch the son of a bitch, or I do it myself. I have more than enough reason to gut the bastard."

Tasha gave him the resources. Since his outburst, she has been threading carefully.

"Why not?" Dimitri grunts as he makes his way to the interrogation room where Jesse waits.

"His family can sue us for holding without a reason," Tasha explains softly. "His lawyer is already here."

"Good," Dimitri pushes past Tasha. "I haven't seen Ivan in a long time."

In the interrogation room, Jesse sits biting his nails, and his leg bouncing up and down nervously. Upon entering, Jesse looks up at Dimitri, who has the satisfaction of seeing Jesse's eye widen in horror. Dimitri must be a sight to behold. He still wears his clothes from the previous night. His hair is wild around him, and there are already bags under his eyes due to the lack of sleep. But there's an unhinged look around those eyes. A murderous glint that makes Jesse tremble and know that Dimitri is ready to kill somebody. All those threats, breaking bones, flaying his skin, or snapping his neck come back to Jesse from his high school years. Jesse knew the Russian was always capable of such things, and he has the scars to prove a broken arm and nose, but he never believed Dimitri would kill. Today, Jesse believes Dimitri is capable of that and much more.

Dimitri doesn't say anything to Jesse. Instead, Dimitri makes his way to Ivan across the room, where Ivan talks on the phone. Upon seeing Dimitri, Ivan hangs up and turns to face the detective.

"Dimitri," Ivan shakes his hand firmly and amiably. "How long has it been? You look like hell, brother."

Dimitri shrugs. "I've looked worse."

"So, what is this, man?" Ivan lowers himself next to Jesse while Dimitri sits opposite them. "Why is my client here? No one has been able to tell us what's going on. The only reason why I haven't sued the department is because your name was thrown around. I do this as a favor to you, Dimitri."

"Are you fucking serious?" Jesse snaps turning to his older brother. "You haven't bailed me out because of this fucker? He's the reason I'm here! He threatened me last night!"

"What did I tell you? I told you to shut your mouth and let me to the talking," Ivan snaps back, and Jesses shrinks back in his seat.

Dimitri chuckles. "Still babysitting, I see," he pulls out Rose's picture out of his wallet. "This is my girlfriend. You remember Rose Hathaway?"

"Yes," Ivan takes the picture and inspects it. "We all had a crush on her. Young as she was, she's always been gorgeous. Congratulations but what does this have to do with Jesse?"

"Last night," Dimitri looks at Jesse. "Before I threatened him, your brother had his hands all over her. Now, Rose is missing. It might be just my eagerness to find Rose, but I do recall you threatening her, Jesse. What were your exact words… 'Whatever she gets, she deserves?' Help me out here, Mr. Zeklos, but do you know anything?"

"My client knows nothing," Ivan pushes the picture back to Dimitri. "He has an alibi. He was at his penthouse with his friends. You may call them and confirm for yourself."

"I haven't even asked a time frame," Dimitri stands up and paces in the room. "You say he was with his friends, but he disappeared after our confrontation at the mayor's party. Where did you go?"

"I went home," Jesse blurts out. Ivan places a hand on his shoulder and glares at him to shut up.

"Was anyone with you to confirm you went straight home? Anyone who isn't your friend or on your payroll?" Dimitri leans up against the wall and waits for an answer.

"Unless you're accusing him of something," Ivan begins to get up. "We will get going. We have given you enough of our time, Dimitri. I hope you find Rose."

"You don't want to do that," Dimitri chuckles humorlessly as Ivan and Jesse begin to get up. "You don't want to dare me to charge him because what I'm going to charge him with, I don't think you can get him out of, Ivan. You're a business lawyer, not criminal."

"See!" Jesse exclaims pointing a finger at Dimitri. "There he goes again threatening me. I want you to sue him for harassment."

"Be quiet, Jesse!" Ivan shouts and pushes Jesse back down on the chair. Ivan licks his lips and moves closer to Dimitri. "What's going on, Belikov?"

"I have a theory," Dimitri begins crossing his arms and looking directly into Jesse's eyes to read for signs of guilt. "I have a body in the morgue. A body many tell me is the culprit of killing young women all over Boston. I think it's all a trick to deviate from the real culprit. I just think it's a coincidence that the body in the morgue happens to have worked for Zeklos Inc. And here we are with Jesse Zeklos, who just happened to have threatened Rose. Now, Rose is missing, and I have killer on the loose. I think that killer is you, Jesse Zeklos."

"What?" Jesse shouts and gets up from his chair. "You're crazy! I'm not a killer!"

"Jesse," Ivan snaps pointing his finger at his younger brother in a threatening way. "You sit back down and shut your mouth." Ivan turns to Dimitri. "Look, Dimitri, my brother is an idiot. He's a pig who may or may not have threatened Rose but trust me when I tell you he's not smart enough to get away with murder. He's not your killer. To prove it, you have access to all our employees. If the suspect in your morgue worked for us, there must be another accomplice. You're welcome to run background checks on all our employees; you have our full cooperation."

"I don't need your cooperation," Dimitri sighs pushing away from the wall. "I'm already running background checks on all your employees." With that, Dimitri makes for the door.

"Then you must let my client go," Ivan follows Dimitri. "You have no reason to hold him."

"I can hold him for 24 hours," Dimitri looks at his watch. "It's not 24 hours yet. Not even close. I suggest you two get comfortable."

"You can't do that," Ivan calls after Dimitri. "Either charge him or let him go. He's not going to lead you to Rose because he doesn't have her."

"We'll see," Dimitri opens the door and leaves the interrogation room.

Dimitri makes his way to this office where Eddie is going through background checks on Zeklos Inc's employees. Eddie sits on the floor his back against the wall pouring through reports on his laptop. His eyes drop heavily with lack of sleep. Like Dimitri, Eddie has been searching for Rose all night, and like Dimitri, Eddie won't rest until they find her preferably alive. Dimitri lowers himself onto his chair and opens the files waiting for him.

"You should go home and get some sleep," Dimitri comments as he looks through Mikhail Tanner's background check. Nothing seems to jump at Dimitri.

"I'm fine," Eddie replies. " _You_ should go home and get some rest. When we find Rose, you'll need to be in top shape to catch the bastard."

"Oh, trust me," Dimitri says through gritted teeth as he pulls up the next employee. "I will be."

The door to his office opens abruptly and Abe Mazur enters with his body guard, Pavel, shadowing him. Dimitri sighs. He had expected this to come soon. In fact, it took Abe too long to come confront Dimitri. Only because Janine begged Abe to stay with her and to let Dimitri do his job.

"He'll find her," Janine had said through her tears. "He will find her."

But Abe couldn't wait any longer. His daughter is missing and there's only one person to blame, Dimitri. "Where's my daughter?"

"Not here," Dimitri replies without looking up from his computer. "Obviously."

"Don't get smart with me, boy," Abe smacks his hands on Dimitri's desk. "You promised Janine you would find Rose, and so far, there's no sign of her. This is your fault. You shouldn't have let her leave alone."

"Trust me," Dimitri looks up from his computer and glares at Abe. "If I could turn back time, I would. I would change everything. I wouldn't have taken her to that party. Ifs and woulds aren't going to bring her back. _I am_. I have been looking all night, asking questions…"

Dimitri trails off. Since last night, when Dimitri realized Rose is missing, he couldn't stop blaming himself. He shouldn't have let Rose out of his sight; he should have gone outside and followed her. But that didn't matter. What matters is finding Rose and making the killer pay. Dimitri couldn't stop imagining ways to hurt the man. Like beating him until every bone in his body is shattered. Until his ribs puncture his lungs and he chokes on his blood. And when Dimitri wasn't thinking of ways to avenge his beloved, he thought of her. Alone and afraid. Hurting and wondering if she will get out of it alive. Dimitri wants nothing more than to have Rose back safely in his arms. He will hold her tight and never let her go again. He will be there for her in whatever way she needs. In all his despair, guilt and hatred, Dimitri forgot something very important. A key witness.

"What is it?" Abe demands when Dimitri ignores him.

"I found him," Dimitri mutters as he clicks through files until he finds the one he's looking for. There's the familiar information. The address and a photograph. At first, Dimitri found no reason to know the man's past but now it's crucial.

"Who did you find?" Eddie stands up and moves behind Dimitri to look at his screen. "Why are you looking at his information again?"

"Find out his place of employment," Dimitri commands as he scrolls through the history. "We have a link. They know each other. They were in the same foster home…"

"Dimitri," Eddie pales as he begins to see where Dimitri is going with his search. "He works for Zeklos Inc. He's a chauffeur for the CEO, Ekaterina Zeklos."

"Chauffer," Dimitri mutters pulling up the tracker app on his phone. "He has two cars. One is the company car. He wouldn't use his fucking corvette."

"It's too conspicuous," Eddie nods. "Someone would remember seeing a corvette, but the Honda is too normal."

"I'm tracking him," Dimitri stands up. "We got the bastard."

* * *

Rose wakes up to the stinging pain on her legs. She hisses when Nathan presses the gauze with alcohol to her bruised and scratched skin. She tries to pull her legs away but the restraints around her ankles don't allow her to move too far.

"Stay still," Nathan looks up at Rose. "I don't want anything to blemish your beautiful skin. We'll have to wait on our fun until these heal. Then again, I don't know how much longer I can wait."

"Why me?" Rose's throat hurts with thirst, so her voice comes out as if she has been smoking for years.

"Because you're gorgeous," Nathan pushes his rolling chair, so he ends up near her face. "I have wanted you since you walked into that hospital room. Normally, I like younger girls, but your spirit won me over. I am going to enjoy breaking you."

"You won't," Rose replies defiantly. "You won't get to break me because Dimitri will come for me."

Nathan chuckles and twists a loose strand of her hair around his index finger. "Detective Belikov thinks his killer was Isaiah. He won't come for me."

This time Rose laughs, and she means it. "Dimitri is the best detective. You're a moron if you think you fooled him. He will figure out you and Isaiah were working together."

"We were quite the team," Nathan recalls running his hands over her arms. "He procured and disposed of the girls for me. I don't understand how he had fun doing that. The real fun is breaking the girl's spirit, and then when I'm done, see their life slipping away," he presses his fingers against her neck. "As I choke them slowly. But I won't do that to you. Not right away. I have a feeling you're right. I won't break you. It's going to take some time. I promise our time together will be the most memorable."

"It won't get to that," Rose says firmly shuddering at his touch. "Dimitri will find me, and when he does, you'll regret laying a finger on me."

"A finger?" Nathan throws his head back and laughs. "I will lay more than a finger on you, my Rose. And you will eventually enjoy it."

"Don't touch me," she shouts as Nathan pulls scissors from a nearby table where he brought he alcohol and gauze. "Don't you dare touch me!"

He cuts a lock of her hair and places it in a Ziploc bag. "A souvenir for when you're no longer with us. And now… We can start to break you."

Rose shouts and screams profanities as Nathan cuts her dress. "Dimitri is going to kill you. I'm going to spit on your grave, you piece of shit!"

"Hey," Nathan stops cutting the hem of her dress and points at her with the scissors. "That's not very nice of you to say. If you want me to stop all you must do is, say so."

"Stop, motherfucker," Rose spits at his face.

"Nicely," Nathan adds through gritted teeth as he wipes his face. "That was uncalled for and now I have to keep going."

He cuts a slit up her right leg and stops by her inner thigh. "My father has money," Rose pleads as she feels the metallic coldness of the scissors against her leg. "If you let me go, he'll give you lots of money."

"I don't want money," Nathan shrugs working on cutting another slit up her left leg.

"He'll give you enough money to hide from Dimitri."

"You know," Nathan stops tapping her exposed leg with the scissors. "Threatening me is not the way to go. I keep telling you. You have to ask nicely otherwise I'm going to keep going until your pretty dress is gone."

"I won't plead to you, pig," Rose swallows loudly and waits for the worse.

"Then I won't stop," Nathan resumes cutting the dress.

Rose continues to offer him money and threatening him. She describes what Dimitri will do to him when he finds them. But Nathan laughs and continues to cut her dress almost exposing her nakedness. Briefly, Rose is thankful she put on panties after her encounter with Dimitri last night. She closes her eyes as the scissors cut the fabric away. She imagines being safely in Dimitri's arms. He holds her against him kissing her head as they watch some stupid movie. The smell of him and his warmth all around her. The sound of his laughter when she says something silly, and his eyes gazing at her lovingly.

" _I'll always take care of you_ ," she replays his promise in her mind to keep from screaming as Nathan continues to snip away at the fabric.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for your reviews, favs, and follows as always they make me happy. I hope this wasn't too much graphic or traumatic stuff. I'm already working on chapter nine. I hope to have it done soon. I'd say there's about two more chapters? Anyway, thanks for reading!**

 **UPDATE: It was brought to my attention that it would have been good to add a trigger warning in this chapter. I apologize if I offended anyone. I tried to write this chapter keeping in mind some of my readers may or may not have gone through something similar. The last thing I want is to hurt anyone, so I apologize for not thinking ahead. I have update the chapter with trigger warnings that's all I did in this chapter. Thanks and so sorry.**


	9. Feral Love

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

 **WARNING: There's some violence in this chapter. Read at your own peril.**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Feral Love

"What is going on, Belikov?" Abe roars slamming his fists on the desk demanding Dimitri's attention. "Have you found my daughter? The uncertainty is killing Janine… And me."

It is then Dimitri shifts his attention to the older man. Despite knowing every second is precious in finding Rose, Abe falling apart in his office is kind of important too. Rose always spoke of her father as someone who probably didn't care enough to stay and fight harder. After the divorce, Abe moved to Istanbul where he runs his hotel empire. However, Dimitri knows Abe has been trying the whole time. Calling on her birthday, attempting to attend her graduation despite Rose never extending an invitation, and Abe's here now when Rose and Janine will need him most.

" _Nothing happens without reason, Dimka,"_ Yeva tends to say often. Abe showing up when he did maybe in the long run is what Rose needs to mend her relationship with her father. But first, they have to bring her home.

"I think I have," Dimitri meets Eddie's eyes unsure how much to tell Abe. "I found the man who took her. It's a long story, and I promise to give you and Janine all the details when I find Rose."

"I'm coming with you," Abe turns to Pavel. "We're going to need your guns after all."

"Guns?" Dimitri pinches the bridge of his nose. "You have guns? Did you legally purchase them?"

"Does it matter?" Abe scoffs. "You're going to rescue my daughter with your inadequate glock. I have assault rifles, so you can properly catch the asshole that took my daughter."

"We're not killing anybody," Eddie chimes in. "Our duty is to catch him alive, so the system can punish him accordingly."

"The system is broken, boy," Abe chuckles. "Do you have any idea how many senators I have on speed dial? How many of them will break me out of jail? There's no way you're keeping me from this. I'm going to get my daughter back."

"No," Dimitri says firmly. "You will go home to Janine. You will tell her Rose is coming home, and you will be ready for my phone call. I can't have a civilian get hurt or worse end up in jail. I don't care how many senators are in your pocket, Mazur. Rose wouldn't want you to get in trouble. Just listen to me. I will bring her back like I promised. It's my job."

"Rosemarie is not a job," Abe growls. "She's my daughter."

"She's my everything," Dimitri replies as calmly as possible though his patience is running thin. He's losing precious time arguing with his girlfriend's possible mobster father. "I made a mistake of letting her out of my sight. It won't happen again. I will find her, and I will bring her home in one piece. I love your daughter more than you'll ever know."

Abe remains silent as he assesses Dimitri. Janine had mentioned Dimitri's passion, and Abe wonders if she knows exactly how intense the Russian is. To Abe, Dimitri looks ready to jump in front of a bullet for Rose, and judging by Pavel's stiff posture, Dimitri might catch a bullet. Abe turns to Pavel and shakes his head for his bodyguard to stand down. Dimitri is one of them. He's family now.

"Fine," Abe concedes and makes for the door. "Bring my daughter back and call as soon as you have her. Oh and Belikov? Make the bastard pay."

Dimitri nods sharply, grabs his gun from his desk drawer, and tears out of his office with Eddie right behind him. Time is of the essence; they've already wasted enough time. He will call for back up if needed. Right now, he needs to get to the location. The tracker he placed on Nathan's Honda updates every time the car is in movement to preserve battery. Dimitri checks the latest update on the car's location before pulling away from the police station. He tears through the streets pushing past the speed limit and risking getting pulled over by his colleagues. But he doesn't care. His hands shake with the need to break, to maim, and to tear Nathan to pieces.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Dimitri moves through traffic easily. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches Eddie checking and rechecking his gun. If anyone is as heated as Dimitri, it's Eddie, who has known Rose for six years when Dimitri took him under his mentorship. Eddie quickly saw the attraction between his mentor and Rose. He also saw Rose's kind heart. There's not a single mean bone in her body just a passion for standing up for those who can't. Who would want to hurt someone as kind and selfeless as Rose? Eddie couldn't believe it when Dimitri called him and gave him the terrible news. Whoever took her is a sick son of a bitch, which has just been proven to be true.

Near the harbor, an old abandoned storage unit sits crumbling; the wood barely holding up due to harsh weather. The grounds are property of Zeklos Inc where they stored goods once long ago now is the dumping ground for old, beat up shipping containers. Dimitri parks his car blocking the entrance. A rusty chain holds the bending gates closed. Eddie easily breaks the chains with a pair of bolt cutters.

"Call for back up," Dimitri says to Eddie. "Then go around the perimeter and search for any escape routes or movement. I'm going in."

"I should come in with you," Eddie protests picking up the radio to call for help. "They can go around the perimeter. You'll need me in case he escapes or has more accomplices inside."

"No," Dimitri looks around the wind still blowing. "I need you out here. Isaiah was the only accomplice, I'm sure of it, but if Nathan makes a run for it, I'll need your help to block him. Find any weak points and dispatch back up wherever you see fit. Besides," Dimitri growls as he holds his gun tightly. "I have to do this."

Eddie nods. "Be careful."

"Always am," Dimitri calls over his shoulder as he moves silently through the broken container ships.

The wooden shack comes into view with the Honda backed up close to the door. There are no windows up front and for that Dimitri is thankful. He sneaks up close to the car and looks inside. In the backseat is a black duffel bag. There are no keys in the ignition, Nathan wouldn't be so dumb. But he is dumb enough to hold Rose. Dimitri pulls out a small knife from his pocket and slashes all tires violently. There's no way in hell Nathan is getting away. Breathing heavily, Dimitri darts toward the storage house. He rests his back against the wood wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his right hand. His eyes suddenly rest on the gravel by the front door. There's dry blood. Dimitri's body begins to tremble with the rage coursing through his veins. His hand holds onto the grip of his gun tightly; his knuckles turning deathly white with the force.

"I'm coming, Rose," Dimitri mutters under his breath as he tries to pry open the front door. But of course, Nathan locked it. "Damn it."

He uses his knife to mess with the lock, but he soon discovers it's broken. The door must be locked some other way. Dimitri steps back and attempts to kick the door and curses when he hears the rattling of chains. He opts to go around. If he keeps messing with the door, the noise might alert Nathan something is amiss. As it is, it's very possible Nathan has heard the rattling. With gravel crunching under his feet, Dimitri goes around the house making sure to stay low. He encounters a couple of windows on the right side. Slowly, he rises to peek inside. He sees nothing but empty rooms, so he continues. In the back, is another door but, like the one up front, is also locked by chains.

The only alternative is going in through a window. Dimitri curses again knowing to get in through the window, he must smash the glass. Nathan will surely hear the glass shattering and know something is wrong. Dimitri fears Nathan might react harshly and hurt Rose. Dimitri crouches by the window and taps the barrel of the gun against his forehead forcing his brain to work double and think of a plan. But there's no alternative. He must go through the window. The only downside is he has no idea where in this shack Rose is being held. But she's hurt. By the blood on the gravel, Nathan has hurt her.

With his mind made, Dimitri takes his shirt off wrapping it around his left hand, he smashes the window. The glass shatters and clinks onto the ground echoing in the empty shack. Nathan hears it and stops cutting Rose's dress. He listens for the wailing of sirens or footsteps running towards the room in the far end of the shack.

"Stay quiet," Nathan groans as if annoyed in an obvious attempt to appear unbothered by the thought that he has been discovered. Rose's threats suddenly seem very plausible, but Nathan is not going to show his fear or his weakness to his prey.

 _Like hell_ , Rose says to herself as she begins to feel hope again. She should have never doubted Dimitri. She should have known her Russian God would never fail her. "Dimitri!" Rose shrieks tears running down her cheeks in relief. "I'm here!"

"Shut your mouth!" Nathan hisses pressing the scissors to her cheek. "Or I will cut your pretty face."

"Do your worst," Rose spits. "Dimitri is here, and he's going to skin you alive."

Dimitri moves fast through the shack; his eyes have adjusted to the dim lighting. He follows the sound of Rose's voice. His heart beating fast in his ears when he no longer hears her; he fears the worst. Eventually, he catches light slipping through the crevices in a beat-up door near the back. There's no sound coming from inside, but Dimitri doesn't dwell on negative thoughts. Rose is well. He's here to make sure of it. With his shoulder, he breaks the door open. He's sure he'll have splinters on his bare arms, but he quickly dismisses that thought when he finally gazes upon Rose.

Nothing in his training ever prepared him for this. He had been trained to keep emotions in check. Arthur, Dimitri's mentor, used to say that in this profession he has seen people do horrible things, things that make the strongest man's stomach turn. But as law enforcers, they must always remain calm and keep their emotions in check. Someone's life could be counting on it. Dimitri never imagined he would be in this situation struggling to stay calm for the sake of his loved ones, for the sake of the woman he loves more than his own life.

Nathan has Rose strapped to a table. Her red dress torn everywhere barely keeping her covered, and her legs are bloody. Nathan keeps a pair of scissors at her neck as he looks at Dimitri defiantly. Dimitri takes deep breaths and reminds himself to stay calm because this time Rose's life depends on it. But it's so hard when his whole body trembles with anger. His heart beats wildly in his chest and against his eardrums. Everything looks unfocused except for Nathan's hand holding the scissors against Rose's neck.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri calls out clearly and calmly to Rose. He's surprised he's keeping the angry growls threatening to erupt from his chest out of his voice. The last thing he wants is to startle Rose.

"Do not address my pet," Nathan presses the scissors against her throat. "She knows the rules. She's not to speak unless she wants to die. As for you detective Belikov, you will put your gun down and kick it my way. If you refuse, I will slit our precious Rose's throat. A terrible loss but one I'm willing to take."

"Or you could just let her go," Dimitri keeps the gun pointed at him. "You let her go, and I won't pursue. I just want Rose back."

"You can have her back after you put the fucking gun down! Follow my rules and you lovebirds will be together soon." Nathan is sweating as he presses the scissors firmly to her neck. He expected Dimitri to come after him just not so soon. Nathan had hoped to have some fun with Rose before dumping her in the harbor then disappearing from Boston. His only regret now is never to have tasted Rose's skin or have the honor of breaking her spirit. But there will be others, Nathan vows. "Do it now, Belikov. I'm losing my patience!"

"All right," Dimitri slowly lowers the gun. He crouches putting the gun on the ground and putting his hands up in the air to show Nathan he's cooperating. "Now back away from Rose."

Nathan tsks. "First, kick the gun over here."

Dimitri does so. The gun skids across the room colliding with one of the table's leg. Nathan pulls the scissors away from Rose's throat and makes for the gun. Dimitri crosses the room in a couple of strides. Just as Nathan holds the gun in his right hand, Dimitri grabs his wrist. Nathan fires a shot into the air followed by another as he and Dimitri fight for control of the gun. But Nathan's left arm is still hurting from the gunshot of the other day, so it puts him at a disadvantage. Isaiah was always a terrible shot. Dimitri pushes Nathan against the wall where he slams Nathan's hand against the wall trying to get him to loosen his grip on the gun. But Nathan holds on and pushes past the pain in his shoulder and punches Dimitri's jaw.

It's like punching a wall. Dimitri feels nothing and doesn't faze. His rage fuels him until he sees nothing else but Nathan. Dimitri wants to tear Nathan apart. Make him bleed like he's made Rose bleed. Slit his throat like he threatened to do to Rose. Strap him down and torture him until he begs for mercy, but Dimitri won't give it to him. Dimitri will drag his suffering. Dimitri growls baring his teeth before striking Nathan on the nose with his head. Nathan screams in pain when he hears the crunching sound of his nose breaking and the blood spurts. Dimitri takes advantage of Nathan's distraction and takes Nathan's wrist holding the gun and snaps it. Nathan screams in horror tasting the blood from his nose in his mouth. His eyes bulge seeing his wrist bent at an unnatural angle dangling uselessly.

"Come on," Dimitri kicks the gun away. He doesn't need a gun to hurt Nathan. Dimitri pulls Nathan up by the collar. "Get up, bastard. Fight me." He punches Nathan's ribs repeatedly. "Not so tough now, huh? Taking defenseless girls and snuffing the light out of them." Dimitri wraps his hands around his neck adding pressure. Nathan's face begins to redden as he gasps for air. "How does it feel to not be able to breathe?" Dimitri slams his head against the wall before tossing him across the room.

Dimitri makes for the table where Rose still lays. He uses the sharp scissors to cut one of her hands loose. He kisses the top of her head before turning back to Nathan crawling away towards the door. But Dimitri's not done yet. He grabs Nathan by the ankles and drags him back. Dimitri is on top of Nathan punching him repeatedly on the jaw.

"How dare you," Dimitri pulls out his knife from his pocket pressing it to Nathan's throat. "How dare you take Rose? How dare you hurt her? I will make you pay. Every finger you laid on her, I'm going to cut it, and then I'm going to make you eat them."

"No," Nathan moans and spits blood out. "Please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Not yet you're not," Dimitri grips Nathan's bloodied face forcing him to look at the pissed of detective. "My face will be last thing you see before you pass out from the pain as I slice your fingers off. My voice and your screams will follow you to your nightmares. And when you wake up, I'll be there to make sure you never see the light of day. I'm going to kill you. Cut you into little pieces until nothing else is left of you."

Dimitri grabs Nathan's broken wrist and puts it over his head. Nathan screams as Dimitri begins to cut Nathan's index finger. With a mouthful of blood and several teeth knocked out, Nathan pleads for mercy. Nathan's screams of pain are music to Dimitri's ears as he slices through flesh slowly sawing through the bone. With the index finger cut off, Dimitri begins to work on the thumb. The pleasure he feels inflicting pain on Nathan drowns everything else around him. There's only the feeling of his knife cutting through bone, Nathan pleading for mercy, and the smell of blood around Dimitri. It's all so intoxicating and exhilarating. Dimitri wonders if this is what lions or cheetahs feel when they've caught their prey.

"Dimitri!" Rose's shrieks cut through his bloodlust, pulling him from his feral state. "That's enough! Please."

Rose worked on her restraints when Dimitri cut her hand loose. She watched in horror and fascination as Dimitri pummeled Nathan to a pulp. The sounds of bone crunching under Dimitri's fist made her feel fulfilled but at the same time terrified. Nathan deserves everything he's getting because of his actions abducting, raping and murdering women. If Dimitri hadn't arrived in time, Rose knows her fate would have been the same. But as she looks on, Rose can't stand hearing Dimitri growling like a feral animal. As much as she would like to join in and inflict pain on Nathan, Rose has come to realize Nathan is not worth losing her humanity or Dimitri's. She has never heard him make those sounds, and it scares her shitless. When he turns to glance at her, Rose's breath catches. There's an unhinged glint in his once gentle eyes. In that moment, Rose knows Dimitri _will_ fulfill his promise of killing Nathan. She can't allow Dimitri to taint his hands with the blood of a coward.

"Please," Rose pleads reaching out for him. "Come to me, love. I need you." Her eyes glisten with tears and her throat feels tight with all kinds of emotions.

"You're an animal," Nathan whimpers tears flowing down his cheeks and darkness dancing in his vision. As Dimitri promised, Nathan feels his consciousness slipping from the shock.

Dimitri can't ignore Rose's plea. She's not only begging him to comfort her; she's begging him not to kill the man who inflicted pain on many women and their families. She's begging him to let the bastard who tortured her live. While Dimitri can't comprehend why Nathan deserves to live, he gives in to Rose's plea because it's what her heart desires, and in the end, Dimitri will give her whatever she wants.

"No. _We_ are animals, Nathan. The only reason I'm allowing you to live is because Rose is a better person than you or me. She has shown the mercy I do not possess. But mark my words, I will make sure you rot in prison, and I will make sure your life there is a fucking nightmare." Dimitri spits in Nathan's face and pulls away from him. Dimitri makes his way to Rose, who struggles to get down from the table. He catches her before she hits the ground and pulls her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, love."

"It's okay," Rose buries her face in his neck and holds onto him tightly. "You're here. You found me."

"I will always take care of you," Dimitri murmurs into her hair. "Always."

Eddie and back up bring the front door down. Back up arrived when Eddie heard gunshots, and as they make their way to the room, they find Nathan an unconscious bloody mess missing two fingers and a broken wrist. If Eddie had to guess, Nathan has more broken bones in his body that aren't easily visible. But no one feels sorry for him. It's a relief for Eddie to see Rose in Dimitri's arms both whispering to each other. Eddie turns away giving them their privacy until the ambulance arrives.

Dimitri rides in the ambulance with Rose. He won't let her out of his sight any time soon, and for that Rose is thankful. Despite the police taking Nathan into custody, Rose doesn't feel safe yet. She wouldn't let the paramedics, people she works with, take her from Dimitri's arms. He lowered her onto the stretcher himself and holds her hand as they ride to the hospital. With his free hand, Dimitri calls Janine and informs her and Abe that Rose has been found and is being transported to the hospital.

"By the way, Abe is in town," Dimitri puts his phone back in his pocket and turns to Rose. "He arrived yesterday before you went missing. I wasn't sure how to tell you. I know the last thing you need is drama…"

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Rose sighs. "My father is not even on the list of priorities right now. I just want to get this whole day over with."

"Whatever you need, love," Dimitri kisses her hand.

When the ambulance arrives at the hospital, Rose is immediately taken to her own room where she waits for a nurse or doctor to give her the all clear to go home. Despite her minor injuries to her legs, Rose knows she doesn't need to be in there. She only agreed to get checked out by a doctor to ease Dimitri's mind when all she wants is to go home, tear the dress off, burn it, take a long shower, cry, and sleep until next week. She just wants Dimitri to take her home where she can hide from all the pity looks she's sure to get. Rose knows very soon she'll have to face Nathan again in court. And the thought of seeing him makes her stomach hurt, but she doesn't want to think about that just yet. She wants nothing more than to put everything behind her and carry on like it never happened.

But it did. Rose let Galina get the best of her. Rose chose to leave the party without Dimitri. Nathan tortured her with promises to make her suffer; to do unspeakable things to break her faith in Dimitri. She chose to spare Nathan's life and now he'll be breathing the same air as her. Everything that happened, Rose cannot erase or forget. It'll always be a part of her. She glances at Dimitri on the phone with Olena. It's a part of them now because so far Dimitri hasn't left her. Maybe he won't but there's the chance that he will. If Rose was messed up before, she's truly damaged now. If Dimitri decides to stay, he'll have to live with the knowledge that Rose will never be the same again.

"I'm sorry," Rose whispers after sitting in silence with Dimitri for a while. He hadn't said much except ask if she needed anything to which she replied no because she didn't want him to leave her. "I shouldn't have left without telling you. Everything is my fault."

"Roza," Dimitri squeezes her hand tightly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, you understand? If we are looking to blame someone it should be me. I should have never let Galina get between us. And Nathan…" Dimitri inhales sharply as he feels the familiar anger coursing through his blood. "He's a piece of shit, pardon my language, and we will make sure he never sees the light of day again. Roza, you have done nothing wrong. You've been amazing. You're my strong and brave girl. I love you so much, and I'm just glad you are here."

"I'm not strong or brave," Rose swallows and whispers unable to trust her voice. "I broke down a lot. I doubted you for a second… I thought… I thought I was never coming home. He… Nathan started to…"

"What did he do, Roza?" Dimitri growls his body trembling fearing the worst. Fearing he had been too late to save her from Nathan's wickedness. But he also shakes in anger. If Nathan did more, Dimitri will find where Nathan is being held and put a bullet between his eyes. "Tell me what he did. Did he…"

"No," Rose closes her eyes but opens them immediately when the image of Nathan ripping her dress flashes before her eyes. "No. He didn't rape me. It didn't get to that, but I feared it would." Her voice cracks at the end, and she hates it. Dimitri holds her high on a pedestal believing her to be strong and brave when all night she's been terrified and on the verge of falling apart.

"You don't have to be afraid of him or anyone else," Dimitri places his right palm against her cheek. "You also don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to break and cry. I'm here with you, Roza. As your best friend or your lover. Whatever you need or whenever you need me. A shoulder to cry on or a drinking buddy. I'm yours."

"Thank you," Rose whispers as a single traitor tear makes its way down her cheek. "I'll be okay."

"I know," Dimitri presses his lips against her right hand and presses his forehead to her hand. "You're stronger than me." And he begins to sob. His body shakes the bed, and Rose grabs his head with both of her hands pulling him up. She allows him to cry and hide his face on her chest as she buries her hands in his soft and dirty hair. "I know it's not fair for me to break down. I should be the one being strong for you, but I… I feared the worst. I kept thinking it's my fucking fault for letting you out of my sight. I failed you, Rose. I promised to look after you, and I failed you. It's my fault everything you went through. I should have seen through Nathan. My gut kept telling me Isaiah was the wrong guy, and I let people tell me otherwise. I've never been more terrified in my life. The thought of losing you is my worst nightmare."

"Shhh," Rose kisses his hair. She can't listen to him anymore. When Nathan held her captive, Rose knew Dimitri would somehow blame himself for her possible demise, but hearing him actually do it, shatters her heart into a million pieces and is close to breaking her. There are people counting on her. If she made it through her capture, she has to make it through the recovery. Even if she doesn't believe it, she has to be strong for her loved ones. "It's not your fault either. It's all in the past. We're here, and we'll get through it. Together. That's my promise."

"You're a remarkable woman, Roza," Dimitri murmurs as he wipes his tears with his forearm. "You never cease to amaze me. I'm lucky to have you."

"We all are," Janine adds as she enters the hospital room. Her eyes are puffy from crying all night and lack of sleep. She still wears her pajama bottoms that Rose bought her on Christmas with the Grinch's face all over them. "Oh, Rose! I'm so relieved you're okay. You are okay, right?"

"I'm fine, mom," Rose croaks. "Thirsty as hell though. Will someone get me some damn water?"

"I'll get it," Abe turns tail and runs away before even entering the room. Rose had seen him stand awkwardly behind Janine with his head hanging low. She caught him glancing up and looking directly at her before averting his eyes.

As Abe runs away to find a nurse to get Rose some water, Dimitri catches up to him. Abe looks the Russian up and down. "You look like hell." Abe pulls his phone and types a message.

"I've looked worse," Dimitri comments dryly falling into step with the older man.

"Is that his blood?" Abe points to Dimitri's undershirt covered in blood and ripped.

"Some is his. Some is mine. I went through a broken window." Dimitri shrugs. He hadn't felt the pain of the broken glass cutting his torso, and he had refused attention from the paramedics. Rose was his priority. The bleeding had stopped at least.

"Tell me what you did to him," Abe sits on a nearby chair and closes his eyes. "Don't leave out a single detail."

"Should we get water for Rose first?" Dimitri chuckles amused at Abe's bloodlust. If Abe had been there, Dimitri wonders if Abe would have let Nathan live. The answer is no. Abe wouldn't have stopped. Rose is the voice of reason in Dimitri's mind. Looking at Abe smile when Dimitri recounts the bloody tale of capturing Nathan and beating him, Dimitri wonders if Abe even has a voice of reason.

"You did well, boy," Abe nods and slaps Dimitri's back in camaraderie. "If I had been there though, there would have been more blood."

"I don't doubt it," Dimitri rolls his eyes.

Abe sighs. "I suppose we protect those we love differently. I will get my turn."

Dimitri frowns and turns to face Abe. His face gives nothing away as he remains with his eyes closed and his head leaning back against the wall. "What do you mean? I know you mentioned you have senators in your speed dial…"

"I know what you're going to say, detective." Abe opens his eyes as Pavel shows up out of nowhere with water for Rose. Pavel nods clearly sending a message to Abe. "But it's too late. The deed is done."

"Abe," Dimitri stands up and follows Abe closely pulling him by the shoulder. "What did you do?"

"When you have family of your own, if Rosemarie wants children, you will understand," Abe shrugs Dimitri's hand and looks dead in his eyes. The lines around Abe's eyes harden sending chills down Dimitri's spine. "What we do for our children has no boundaries. I may not be father of the year leaving Rosemarie the way I did. I didn't fight hard enough for her, but I am back, and I'll be damned if I let the man who hurt my daughter go with all his limbs intact. A warning you will be wise to heed if you're to join the family soon, son."

"What did you do, Abe?"

"I did nothing," Abe feigns innocence. "I have been sitting with you the whole time, detective."

"Fine, let me rephrase." Dimitri turns to Pavel. "What did _you_ do?"

"Cut his left hand off," Pavel admits nonchalantly with a thick Turkish accent. "I hear his wrist will not heal properly, and his hand will not function properly thanks to you, Detective Belikov."

"We saw no point in taking his right hand." Abe practically growls. "He might forget what you did to him. Now, he looks at his right hand, there's Belikov. He looks at the stump on his left, there's Mazur. The sick bastard won't be able to forget about us. He'll live with the fear that I'm coming for him. Next week or next year, I will take his tongue or an eye. Piece by piece he will pay for what he's done to Rosemarie. I swear it."

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 **AN: I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter. This is the most violent thing I've written, so it was kind of hard, but I liked it! Lol. I hope you all liked it as well. Thank you for your reviews, follows, and favs. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Better in Time

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Ten: Better in Time

Dimitri remains silent as he listens to Abe describe what he's done and will do to Nathan. A part, a very strong part, of Dimitri is happy to hear Nathan will suffer and will pay with blood the pain he caused many families including Dimitri's. But the part that made him become a cop, to uphold the law, disapproves of Abe's approach.

"There's no need for that," Dimitri begins cautiously. "Nathan will rot in prison. The inmates will make sure his life is unpleasant so will the guards. Many of them owe me favors. You're risking too much for revenge."

"I don't think I'm risking anything," Abe chuckles. "Besides, how is it any different from what you've done? I hear he's a sight to behold. He's a walking rattle with broken bones all over his body. You cut two of his fingers! You actually gave me the idea, boy. Perfect reminder never to fuck with a Mazur."

"You're missing the point," Dimitri shakes his head though he knows Abe is right. Dimitri had planned on chopping Nathan to pieces. "If the police hear of this, you'll be in trouble. How long before they put two and two together? You'll have his blood on your hands."

"My hands are clean," Abe puts his hands up for Dimitri to see.

"You know I don't mean literally. It's become quite clear you have people to do the dirty job for you." At the last part, Dimitri glares at Pavel.

"Leave Pavel out of this," Abe grunts. "I'm a little insulted you'd think we would get directly involved in Nathan's demise. I have told you. I have senators, governors on my speed dial. I also have deep pockets, boy. I can pay anyone I want. The system is broken; this state doesn't even allow the death penalty. That man could walk one day unless you're sure you can put him away for life. Even if you did, I am not satisfied. He doesn't deserve to breath for what he's done to Rose. Do you think so?"

Dimitri remains silent considering Abe's question. The answer has been clear since Dimitri figured out Nathan was behind the murders and Rose's capture. No. Dimitri never intended to let Nathan live. A bullet through his head would have been easy to explain. But the rage of seeing Rose the way she was got the best of Dimitri. He has some explaining to do to his superiors for Nathan's appearance. However, Dimitri will simply get a slap on the wrist or desk duty, and the whole incident will be swept under the rug. No one will be truly upset Nathan got what he deserved. But at what point will Dimitri draw the line? And how is he going to keep Abe from crossing it? If not for his sake, then for Rose's.

"You didn't see her," Dimitri says quietly closing his eyes briefly conjuring Rose's eyes in his mind. "You weren't there, Mazur. I saw her strapped to that damn table. She was breathing hard and her eyes pleaded me to save her. I became blinded by my rage, and I did what I did. I have no regrets taking his fingers and making Nathan hurt. But I never want to see that look in her eyes again. She was terrified not of Nathan anymore. She trusted me enough to get her out of there in one piece. She was terrified of me, of what I was becoming. That is not me. I don't kill. I'm supposed to save lives. Yes, I have shot criminals. I have spilled my fair share of blood, but I have never done it intentionally. If you wish to carry on, I won't report you to the authorities, but I will tell Rose. At first, I didn't see it, but when she pleaded me to stop, to spare his life even though he didn't deserve it, I now see she did it for me. Not him. Rose doesn't want me to have his blood on my hands and, regardless of what your relationship with her is, she wouldn't want it to be on yours either. The choice is yours, Abe."

With that, Dimitri walks away letting Abe confer with his partner in crime, Pavel. Slowly, Dimitri makes his way back to Rose's room. He glances briefly back and catches Abe and Pavel in a quiet though heated argument. Not long after, Abe catches up to Dimitri, and they both walk silently together. When they get back to Rose's room, the curtains are drawn to give her privacy. Behind it, Dimitri hears Rose's voice along with her mother's and Sydney's.

"I'm sorry," Rose murmurs into Sydney's mane. "I shouldn't have been nasty to you."

"Water under the bridge," Sydney sniffles. "I'm just glad you're back. I called Lissa and Christian though. Adrian is picking them from the airport soon."

Rose swallows. "How is she?"

"She will be okay," Sydney sighs. "Don't worry about Liss. She has Christian to comfort her besides there's nothing to worry about now. You're safe. Now let's get you checked." Sydney changes the subject quickly. There's no reason to tell Rose how Lissa screamed and cried when she heard of Rose's abduction. Christian had to take over the phone call and get the tickets back to the states. Rose doesn't need to hear how devastated everyone was. She has enough to deal with.

Rose hyperventilates as Sydney and Janine help her out of her battered dress. Images of Nathan's scissors cutting through the fabric flash before her eyes, and she fights the stinging tears back. As Sydney tends to the wounds on her legs, Rose flinches and inhales sharply. Not at the stinging but at the images that don't seem to leave her alone. Nathan touching her skin. _I don't want anything to blemish your beautiful skin,_ Nathan had said. Nausea hits her like a ton of bricks and she barely leans over the bed when the vomit comes up violently onto a bucket Sydney mercifully had handy.

"Roza?" Dimitri grips the curtain ready to step behind it to comfort her upon hearing her heave. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Rose says between gasps. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go through with this?" Abe whispers standing close to Dimitri. "She's in there probably reliving trauma."

Dimitri turns to briefly glare at Abe. "Don't use Rose's pain to push your murderous agenda. If you do this, it's your choice. I want no part in it. I'm still a cop."

"You're also a man," Abe sighs. "He hurt Rose. You claim to love her…"

"Because I love her I won't go against her wishes. You should speak to her first. If it comes from her own lips that she wants you to torture him, as I said, I will not intervene."

Abe remains silent for a second. "Can I at least chop off his cock? I was leaving that for last, so he will know what is coming."

"Abe," Dimitri groans. "That's enough. Speak to Rose not me."

"What if she doesn't even want to see me?" Abe says so quietly Dimitri is not sure he heard him.

"If she didn't want you here, she would have already told you." Dimitri replies just as quietly without turning to look at Abe when he hears the older man sniffling. "She loves you. She always has. It'll just take her time to forgive. I know you think doing this to Nathan will help make amends, but I think it'll only manage to put a bigger wall between you two. I don't think the first thing she should know is that her father is a mobster torturing people."

"I'm not a mobster," Abe scoffs. "My business is legitimate."

"I'm not interrogating you," Dimitri chuckles running his hands through his hair. "Just don't push her too much, Abe. She doesn't need that right now."

Abe looks up at the ceiling as if looking for divine guidance. Her murmurs something in Turkish then sighs defeated. "Fine. I'll let you and your people do your job. Just make sure he's put away for life."

Dimitri turns to face Abe and places his hand on the older man's shoulder. "You have my word." Dimitri vows looking into Abe's eyes.

In that moment, the curtains are drawn exposing the moment between the men to the women. Janine clears her throat while Sydney covers her smile with her gloved hand. Rose simply watches the interaction between the two men in her life. There's camaraderie between them. Nothing like tragedy to bring families together, Rose thinks.

"Do we need to step out of the room?" Janine says jokingly stroking Rose's hair.

Dimitri and Abe step away from each other and avoid eye contact with the women in the room.

"How is she?" Abe begins addressing Sydney.

"She is fine," Rose replies as Sydney opens her mouth to respond. "She's also right here, so you can address me."

Abe hangs his head and clears his throat. "Sorry. How are you, Rosemarie?"

Rose winces. "Please don't call me by my full name."

"It's a beautiful name for my beautiful daughter," Abe frowns. He never knew Rose hated the name. He used to call her that when she was little, and she would call him Baba. But she's no longer a little girl.

"I'm your daughter now?" Rose snaps though she hadn't intended to. She hadn't intended to do this right now. There's so much to deal with already she had decided to put her father at the bottom of her list. Now, the words are out there, and she can't take them back. "Can you give me and the old man some time alone?"

Sydney is the first to leave. She knew the relationship between Rose and her father was strained, but Sydney never imagined just how much it was. Janine kisses Rose's head and whispers in her ear to be nice. As a response, Rose only grunts. Her eyes meet Dimitri's.

"I will be right outside," Dimitri promises with a small smile. "Be nice. I love you." He mouths before leaving her alone with her father.

The tension is so thick, Abe can't stand it. He takes his suit jacket off and throws it on the couch and tugs on the collar of his silk shirt. He clears his throat several times and paces the room unsure where to start. He knows he should start with an apology, but that's not enough. There aren't enough words to make her understand he never intended to hurt her.

"Sit down," Rose rolls her eyes and fluffs the pillows behind her. "You're making me dizzy."

"I'm sorry," Abe immediately sits on a chair across the room the furthest from her.

"What are you apologizing for exactly?" Rose interlaces her fingers together and gives Abe her full attention. Her eyes seem to unsettle him as he squirms in his chair. Rose holds back her smile satisfied at his discomfort.

"Everything," Abe chuckles humorlessly. "I'm sorry I was a coward and ran away when things got tough. I was selfish and only thought of my needs. I needed to get away from your mother because I was hurting. My heart was shattered that we gave up on our love so easily."

"My heart was shattered too," Rose fights to keep her voice strong and void of emotion though the knot in her throat makes it hard for her to swallow. "I was left without a family."

"I know," Abe rubs his face with both of his hands. "I can't tell you how sorry I am I didn't stay. I didn't try to be a part of your life."

"I loved you, you know," Rose looks down at her interlaced hands.

"Loved?" Abe whispers. "You don't love me anymore?"

Rose sighs. "Of course I do, old man. I just can't forgive you for leaving me. I went through school envious of all the kids with their family intact or at least their father still in the picture. All the daddy daughter dances I missed because you were across the ocean…"

"I tried, Rosemarie. I tried to be there for you." Abe gets up from his seat and moves to the chair next to her bed. "You cut me off."

"Because you broke my heart!" Rose inhales sharply. So much for being strong. "You left in the middle of the night with only a rose on my pillow and a letter saying you would come back, and then you didn't. You went weeks without talking to me. Why?"

"Because I felt like shit," Abe buries his face in his hands. "I had it all. A loving wife and perfect daughter. I put my fucking hotel business first. Your mother tried to make me see reason, and we fought so much. She wanted out, and I allowed her because I messed it all up. I couldn't ask her to stay after I hurt her, and then I couldn't face you. I failed you as a father. I should have stayed. I should have done a lot of things, Rosemarie. I can't change the past, but if I could, I would."

"Why are you here?" Rose wipes the treacherous tears spilling from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"You didn't answer my calls," Abe looks up at her his own cheeks stained with tears and his eyes red. "I had heard of the murders, and I just wanted to make sure you were safe. When you didn't answer, I called your mother. She assured me you were fine, but I needed to see it for myself. I knew it was a long shot you would meet me to talk, but I also wanted to try again to mend our relationship. Can I try? Can I try to make it up to you?"

"How?" Rose turns to face him. Her heart breaks a little seeing him clearly devastated by their broken relationship. But she can't let him get off so easily. "You can't buy my forgiveness. You can't buy me a car or pay for my rent and expect me to be okay with you leaving me, old man."

"That's the only way I know how to take care of you. I couldn't be there to kiss your booboos, remember? You were the greatest booboo faker of all time. I always thought you would become an actress." Abe chuckles recalling the memory. "You needed me back then, and I wasn't there. You don't need me now, not really. You've done so well. I'm so proud of you. I hear you're the top nurse, and your mother says you're considering going back to med school to be a doctor. You have a strong and loving man in your life. Belikov is good for you. I never thought anyone would be good enough for my princess, but he is. You two are so alike. Very passionate and kind souls. What do I have to offer? Nothing. I have nothing…"

"You have love," Rose whispers. The tears she had been holding back come rushing out. "I need a lot of love right now." She looks down at her trembling hands.

"You have all my love, Rosemarie," Abe takes the risk and grasps her shaking hands in his leaning forward to kiss them. "You've always had it, kiz."

Rose pulls her hands away from him and pulls him in for a hug. At first, Abe is stiff and shocked at her display of affection. Throwing his own arms around her, he forgets. He forgets the reason why they're in a hospital. He forgets about Nathan. There's only Rose safe and in his arms. It is then he feels grateful he listened to Dimitri. This reunion could have turned out different if Abe brought up Nathan, and how he intended on making Nathan pay with body parts.

"Stop calling me Rosemarie," she whispers into his shoulder. "I haven't gone by that name since I was three."

"Fine," Abe chuckles hugging her tighter and kissing her head. "How about Rosie?"

"How about you call me Rose or get the hell out," Rose replies rolling her eyes.

A shriek makes Rose and Abe pull away. On the doorway stands Lissa in all her glory. Her always impeccable hair sticks up in every direction. Her emerald eyes are surrounded by her smudged mascara. Even then, Lissa is a sight for sore eyes. Lissa quickly jumps into Rose's bed and pulls her into a tight embrace leaving Rose gasping for air.

"Liss," Rose pulls her best friend's hair out of her mouth. "I can't breathe."

"I'm sorry," Lissa pulls away and looks Rose up and down. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rose sighs wondering how many more times she'll have to say it before people start to believe it.

"Bullshit," Lissa snaps. "I know you're not fine. But we don't have to talk right now. I know it's all too much, but I'm here for you."

Christian, always the proper gentleman being the son of diplomats, shakes hands with Abe before sitting next to Rose's bed. "I am here for you too, and I am so sorry you had to go through this, Rosie."

"Thanks, Chris," Rose glares at Christian for the pet name. Secretly, she appreciates him being there especially to comfort Lissa. Rose squeezes his hand to show her gratitude.

"How come he gets to call you Rosie?" Abe pouts pointing a finger at Christian.

"It is an honor I had to earn over the years," Christian replies clearly making a remark at Abe's absence but remaining polite. "It has not been easy, sir."

"Christian," Lissa chastises gently. "Anyway, when do you get to go home? I'm going to need to borrow your scrubs to properly play the part of your nurse."

Suddenly, a whole new battle breaks out. Janine and Abe want to Rose with them. Janine reasons there's nothing like a mother's love to nurse Rose back to health. She makes sure to extend an invitation to all her daughter's friends to come along and spend the night at her house. Lissa shakes her head saying Rose needs to go back home and resume life as normal as possible. Dimitri remains quiet through it all. He leans against the wall though his eyes are glued to Rose, who also stays silent letting people decide for her.

"What do you want to do, Rose?" Dimitri asks over the arguing voices. He planned on letting her stand up for herself. That's the Rose he knows, but suddenly it dawns on him that Rose is not herself at the moment. The thought disturbs him deeply even though he knows it's normal after the ordeal she has gone through. He only hopes she hasn't changed completely and for the worst.

Rose bites her lip. Lissa's idea sounds perfect. What Rose needs is to get back to her old life, but it might be too soon. "I want to go with Dimitri." Her cheeks blush and she avoids making eye contact with her parents and friends. "I'm sorry everyone. I just… I feel…"

"Safer with him," Lissa finishes for Rose. "I get it."

Janine and Abe say nothing though they share a look. They don't oppose to Dimitri taking Rose back to his place because they all want Rose to be comfortable and safe. When the doctor finally lets Rose go home, the sun is slowly sinking. Outside, a crowd gathers. Reporters and the families of the murdered girls gather around hoping to catch a glimpse of the detective who caught the killer. Many reach out for Dimitri exclaiming how thankful they are. The reporters snap pictures and try to catch a glimpse of Rose, the only victim that made it out alive.

"Please back away," Dimitri calls out calmly pulling Rose closer to his side. She keeps her head low clinging to Dimitri with one hand while the other grips her mother's hand tightly.

"Back the hell off!" Lissa shouts leading the way to Dimitri's car. "I may look like a princess, but I will knock your ass to the ground."

"No she will not," Christian apologizes trailing behind Lissa to keep her out of trouble.

Behind Rose, Abe threatens to sue everyone who takes a picture or dares touch her. Rose is thankful for the protectiveness of her loved ones, but she wishes they would stop drawing so much attention to her. She feels like garbage. Her whole body aches, and she knows she must look like hell. Lissa brought sweat pants and a tank top for Rose, but her hair is wild about her. Her wrists begin to show the bruises of the restraints Nathan used on her. After what seems like a long time, they finally reach Dimitri's car. With promises to call her family and Lissa as soon as she gets some rest, Dimitri helps Rose into his car. Carefully, Dimitri pulls away from the hospital and the crowd. Rose takes a deep breath and leans her head against the window watching the blurring buildings.

"Are you hungry?" Dimitri turns to Rose when they stop at a red light. "I can stop by anywhere you want."

"Not really," Rose shrugs. "I just want a shower and go to bed."

"You haven't eaten anything all day, Rose." Dimitri turns his eyes back to the road. "I can make you something then. Bacon and scrambled eggs?"

"I'm not hungry, okay?" Rose snaps. "Just take me home."

Dimitri says nothing else on the way back to his apartment. When he parks, Rose doesn't wait for him to come around to help her out. Instead she walks up the stairs and waits for him to unlock the door. Usually, she carries a key, but her stuff is in Dimitri's possession. Once inside, Rose heads straight for Dimitri's bathroom where she runs the cold water and steps in. She hisses when the water bites into her skin.

"Rose," Dimitri pulls the curtain his heart breaking in his chest and his eyes burning with unshed tears. "You have to take your clothes off first, love."

Rose ignores him letting the water fall over her. She closes her eyes allowing tears to roll down her cheeks and hopes Dimitri can't tell the difference. In her mind, she relives everything from the previous day. Waking up to Dimitri making breakfast, the conversation of their feelings and relationship looming over their heads just yesterday. Everything was so normal or it could have been. They had decided to move in together. Rose went shopping with Sydney. There was always that nagging feeling that someone was following her, if only she had paid enough attention. If only she had told Dimitri. And then she stupidly thought their first date would be normal and a night to remember. It turned out to be a nightmare.

Rose jumps when she feels Dimitri's hands on her arms. She opens her eyes and he's suddenly there fully clothed standing under the cold water with her. There's no way he understands what she's feeling. He will never understand. No one will. Nathan may not have violated her like he did with all those women, but he broke something inside Rose. She doesn't trust herself anymore. She doesn't feel safe enough to go home to her parents or friends. She needs Dimitri, a trained detective, to make her feel safe in the world again. To make her feel like Nathan will never come back for her. And then she feels disgusted, she wants to scrub her body raw to erase Nathan's touch. She can still feel the cold metal of the scissors against her legs, over her breasts, and on her shoulder. She can feel Nathan's lips forcefully kissing her his tongue trying to part her lips to invade her mouth.

"Shh," Dimitri pulls her into his arms when she begins to shake. He's not sure if it's the sobs or the cold water. Perhaps both. "You're safe, Roza. I won't let anyone touch you."

"But you did," her jaw trembles. "You let him take me…"

"I know," Dimitri closes his eyes and swallows the knot in his throat. "I know I failed you, love. I'm so sorry. It won't happen again. I promise."

Rose steps back and looks up at him. "Why me, Dimitri? What did I do to deserve this?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Roza," Dimitri reaches behind her to turn the water off. "Come on. Let's get you properly washed."

Dimitri helps her out of her soaked clothes and back into the shower with warm water running.

"I can do it," Rose says closing the curtain. Back when Rose started spending the night at his apartment, Dimitri bought her brand of shampoo and body wash to make her feel at home. This time, Rose can't stand to smell like she used to. "Throw this away." She hands Dimitri her half full shampoo bottle and opts for using his body wash.

Dimitri sighs as he tosses the bottle into the trashcan. He leans against the sink and pinches the bridge of his nose. He feels a headache coming being awake for so long, and the water stung the cuts on his torso. Trying to stay busy while Rose washes, Dimitri takes off his undershirt and from the cabinet pulls out gauze and runs the warm water on the sink. He dabs some soap on the wet gauze and begins to clean the wound. As he cleans, he recalls the sound of the glass when he smashed it. He remembers putting his gun back on his holster as he climbed through the window. He had tried to be careful but a corner had nicked his left side.

"You're hurt," Rose comments as she stands in the tub dripping and naked.

"It's nothing," Dimitri shrugs grabbing a towel and handing it to her.

"Why didn't you let Sydney take care of it?"

"I'm fine, Roza. It doesn't even hurt." Dimitri pokes at the wound with his thumb. "See?"

"How did you get it?" Rose wraps the towel around her. "You haven't told me how you got to me or how you found me."

"I'd be happy to share that story with you," Dimitri grabs another towel and dries her hair. "But it will be another time. Let's get you some clothes."

In the room, Dimitri pulls out a pair of underwear and one of his shirts. Rose grabs the items from his outstretched hand. "Can I get a bra and some shorts, too?"

Dimitri doesn't question the change in her sleep wear, for he already knows there will be lots of changes around. As long as her feelings for him don't change, Dimitri knows he can adapt. But it feels as if there's an ocean between them now. But he'll cross that ocean. He has to, or he might lose her.

Before letting her go to bed, Dimitri manages to convince her to eat some cereal. Rose pushes the cereal around in her bowl taking a couple of spoonfuls when Dimitri pleads. Eventually, Rose gives up putting the almost full bowl in the sink. Dimitri follows quietly as she retires back to the room where she pulls the covers and climbs into bed.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" Dimitri asks quietly digging through his drawers for clean underwear and sweat pants.

"Go for it," Rose whispers back pulling the covers tightly around herself. She tries to breathe evenly and remind herself Dimitri will be down the hall. He's not going anywhere, and he has promised no harm will come to her again. _Stop being so weak_ , Rose tells herself as she closes her eyes and listens to Dimitri's bare feet moving towards the bathroom.

As she cries into the pillow, Rose fights the fatigue threatening to overtake her. She's afraid of waking up back in Nathan's trunk. She's afraid this is all fake, and she's still strapped to the table. Perhaps she'll wake up yesterday. Perhaps this whole day has been a nightmare, and she'll wake up to the smell of bacon, and Dimitri in his kitchen ready to make an argument as to why they should be together. Everything was so simple yesterday. Today, they're complicated and everything hurts. Praying the nightmares will stay away, Rose falls asleep as the bed sinks with Dimitri's weight.

She's in a cold empty room. She's looking up at the ceiling the brightness of the lamp hurts her eyes. She blinks rapidly trying to adjust. She tries to call Dimitri's name, but tape around her mouth prevents her from making a sound. She squirms and lifts her head up to look at her naked body strapped to a shiny, metallic table. Rose sobs into the tape. Just as she had feared, Nathan still holds her hostage. As if conjuring him with her mind, Nathan appears to her right side holding a scalpel. He smiles wickedly as he advances towards her and cuts her throat.

"Roza!" Dimitri shakes her awake. "Wake up!"

Rose is drenched in her sweat as she sits up in bed looking around. To her right, Dimitri turns his lamp on making her sigh in relief. She's safe in Dimitri's apartment. Rose throws the covers aside and turns to face Dimitri, who watches her intently and quietly. His hair is still humid from his shower, and his eyes are full of sorrow surrounded by dark circles of fatigue and the events of the previous night.

"Have you slept?" Rose asks quietly leaning back into the bed. Dimitri shakes his head. "Why?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay."

Rose laughs humorlessly and shakes her head. "Of course I'm not okay, Comrade. I'm messed up. I have been for a while, but this is the cherry on the cake. I'm not going to be okay for a while."

"I know," Dimitri lowers his head on the pillow and covers his eyes with his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Stop it," Rose smacks his hand away. "Stop apologizing. I don't need you to apologize. It's not your fault. I know what I said in the shower. That was… I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. But we have to stop walking on eggshells around each other. Lissa is right. I need my life back. I know I won't get it any time soon. It's going to take time, but it would help if you stopped treating me like I'm going to break because I will break."

"I can't help it," Dimitri sighs. "I feel terrible. You were right what you said in the shower. I let him take you. My gut…"

"Stop," Rose throws her arms around him laying her head on his chest listening to his heart beating erratically. "We'll never know what could have been if we had made different choices. There's no point in torturing ourselves. Can we try to move forward, please? There's a therapist in the hospital. She's really good. I'll go see her. We can _all_ go see her. Please?"

"Okay, Rose." Dimitri wraps his arms around her pulling her closer. "We'll move forward. We'll be okay."

Rose falls asleep first. The feeling of his chest rising and falling with each breath lulls her to sleep. The warmth of her body safely in his bed, in his arms, gives Dimitri enough security to let his guard down. He didn't only stay up to make sure Rose was okay. He is afraid that when he opens his eyes again, she'll be gone. _It's going to take time,_ Rose had said.

"I love you, Roza," Dimitri kisses her hair and lets himself fall asleep listening to her breathing.

* * *

 **AN: Another chapter? What? Lol. You guys inspired me with your kind words. Also, I kind of lied to you. I won't be able to finish this story in the amount of chapters I said. This chapter was supposed to be the last one, but there are still many things unresolved, so I hope you don't mind I keep going for a little bit longer. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for your reviews, favs, and follows.**


	11. Fearless

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Eleven: Fearless

"I feel like I'm being pushed away," Dimitri chooses his words carefully. Deirdre watches intently nodding her head in approval at his use of the I-statement like she coached them.

Five weeks have passed since Rose's abduction and rescue. Things hadn't been easy as Rose tried to regain her life back. Nightmares plagued her almost every night. Dimitri was always there when she woke up sweating profusely. He looked at her intensely waiting for her to talk to him about the nightmares. She eventually stopped and would simply shake her head and lay back down in bed close to him. Dimitri had gone back to work almost immediately to make sure all evidence required to put Nathan away for life was ready for the trial. Rose had tried to go back to work, but Adrian had sent her home despite her pleas.

"I need to get back to work," Rose had followed Adrian around. "I can't sit at home and do nothing. I'm going to lose my freaking mind! Please."

"I'm sorry, Rose," Adrian shook his head and grabbed her shoulders looking directly into her eyes. "I wish you could come back, but the director and I agree you need more time to heal."

"You mean time for Deirdre to evaluate me," Rose scoffed pushing Adrian's hands away. "You just want a doctor note confirming I'm not going to lose my mind while treating a patient."

Her career was on hold until Deirdre spoke to the director and confirmed Rose is mentally ready to get back to work. Rose and Dimitri met with Deirdre twice a week to help her deal with nightmares and the lack of safety Rose felt every time she went out. Days after her abduction, when she stepped out on her own, Rose felt the air thinning around her and felt all eyes on her. Dimitri had made sure she wasn't alone after a panic attack. Whether it was one of her friends, Abe or Janine, someone was always with her. Sometimes, the continuous company drove Rose mad. She had asked to be treated like normal, but they hardly listened to her.

"I feel like you aren't listening to me," Rose replies to Dimitri's statement.

"I-statements, Rose," Deirdre scribbled something on her notepad making Rose grit her teeth. Every time Rose made a mistake, the doctor scribbled. Dimitri is the star patient doing everything right. "Would you like to try again?"

Rose sighs. "I feel like I'm not being listened to."

"Okay," Deirdre pushes a blonde lock behind her right ear. "Good start. Let's tackle Dimitri's statement first since he volunteered to begin the session. Why do you feel you're being pushed away, Dimitri?"

Dimitri wipes his sweaty palms on his pants. He's not used to being interrogated; he's always been the one asking the questions. It makes him uncomfortable, but for Rose he'd do anything.

"Sometimes I feel there's an ocean between us. I try to be there whenever there's a nightmare. We don't talk about them like we used to at first…"

"Because I want to stop talking about them," Rose speaks out of turn. Usually, Deirdre would chastise her, but the doctor remains quiet observing the interaction, which Rose decides to take advantage of. "I don't want to talk about nightmares or my panic attacks anymore."

"I thought we were going to try therapy. We want to get better," Dimitri replies.

"Yes and we will," Rose pauses chewing on her lower lip unsure how to get her point across without putting blame on Dimitri. "I just don't think we need to talk about what happened constantly. I need some normalcy in my life. I can't go anywhere without someone being there with me. If I'm to get back to the way I used to be, I need to feel more independent. I need to get my confidence back, and I can't do that if I'm being babied." She turns to Deirdre. "I need to get back to work. I need to put it behind me. I relive what Nathan did every day when Lissa picks me up to go shopping because I can't go anywhere on my own without fearing he'll show up. Or when my mother calls me every hour to make sure I'm home because I'm constantly reminded he took me when we all thought I was safe. I feel like I just can't do anything for myself. I'm constantly afraid."

"I understand," Dimitri gets up from his seat across from Rose. He sits next to her and grabs her hand. "I hear what you're saying, Roza. I think you're right. We can't shelter you forever, and that was never our intention. I apologize if we made you feel this way."

"What is happening in your relationship?" Deirdre asks as she scribbles on her note pad.

"What do you mean?" Rose frowns.

"Have you had any intimacy? Have you tried?" The doctor closes her legs and watches the two of them intently.

Dimitri grabs the glass of water sitting in front of him and drinks. Rose clears her throat and looks up at her hands as she answers. "No. I… We just haven't…"

"That's okay." Deirdre scribbles, and Rose grits her teeth at the action. "What do you feel when you think of intimacy?"

Rose shrugs avoiding eye contact with the doctor. "I don't know. He hasn't tried anything."

"I can't." Dimitri gets up abruptly and paces the room. "We shouldn't talk about it."

"Why not?" Deirdre taps her pen against her lips. "Rose has said she feels she's being sheltered, and you have apologized for making her feel that way. That's progress. But perhaps the reason you feel like she's pushing you away is because you're not talking about what's important."

"Our relationship may have started purely sexual, but sex is not the foundation of our relationship," Dimitri snaps. "It's our love."

"I don't mean sex, Dimitri," Deirdre turns to Rose. "Have you talked about your relationship at all? Have you made any plans for the future? Exactly what do you talk about when you're together?"

"Hmm," Rose sighs and thinks hard on the conversations she has had with Dimitri. "We mostly talk about my day, his day. He asks if I have had any panic attacks. My relationship with my father."

"How is that going by the way?"

"It's going well," Rose smiles genuinely. "He takes me out to explore, eat, and we catch up."

"Your appetite is back?" Deirdre scribbles furiously as if excited.

"Surprisingly, yes," Rose feels hope in her chest. Perhaps Deirdre will report that she's ready to work. "He's promised to take me to every restaurant in Boston, and I manage to eat almost everything on the menus."

"Has Dimitri taken you on any dates?"

"Hmm," Rose glances at Dimitri standing stiffly by the window looking down at the city. She hates putting him on the spot like this. It's not his fault. He's under a lot of stress of gathering all required evidence to put Nathan away. Also, Rose has been pushing him away apparently, though that was never her intention. "What does this have to do with anything?"

Deirdre closes her note pad and uncrosses her legs. "As I said, I think we're talking about the wrong things at home. When we started the sessions, you two mentioned moving in together. Yet, you haven't. You still go back and forth between apartments. Why is that? Have you discussed it among yourselves to wait? Why wait? Nightmares are fleeting. One day, they will go away. One day, Rose may not have any. Your relationship is permanent unless you decide to break up."

"No," Dimitri turns around. "I'm not going anywhere. We're not breaking up. I simply don't want to push her into anything she doesn't feel ready for."

"Address her not me, Dimitri," Deirdre coaches signaling with her hand towards Rose.

Dimitri kneels next to Rose and grabs her hand again. "I don't want to force anything on you."

"You're not," Rose gives him a small smile. "I was wondering why you hadn't brought it up. I… I actually did think you didn't want to move in anymore in case we broke up. I know I'm not very talkative lately, but I agree. I don't think we're talking about important things like us. What's happening with us?"

"I know," Dimitri rubs her hand with his thumb. "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing giving you space. Letting you dictate how fast or slow we went."

"And you were," Rose rests her palm against his right cheek causing Dimitri to lean into her touch. "I appreciate it, but it's definitely time we talk about what's important. Us."

Deirdre turns to look at her hourglass. "Great session," she stands up. "That's all the time we have. I would like for you two to go home and discuss your relationship. Go on a date and push everything aside. Everything that doesn't concern your long term goals, put them away in a jar. If your relationship is not healthy, you can't expect to move forward in one piece."

"Thanks, Deirdre," Dimitri shakes her hand.

"Thanks," Rose nods taking Dimitri's hand as they exit.

"No need to thank me," Deirdre smiles following them out. In the waiting room, Janine and Abe sit next to each other waiting for their turn to speak to Deirdre.

The whole family had agreed to meet with the therapist because Rose had asked them to. Janine and Abe met with Deirdre to deal with the grief of almost losing their daughter and their past relationship. The doctor promised to eventually bring the three of them together to mend the family bonds. Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Sydney and Adrian met with the doctor as well once a week. Everyone had their hands full with the therapy sessions, and it made Deirdre very happy. She wished more families were this close and open to therapy. In time, with the support of the whole family, Deirdre knows Rose will be okay.

"I will be with you momentarily, Ms. Hathaway and Mr. Mazur," Deirdre nods to Rose's parents. "Make sure you make an appointment for next time. I want to hear good news." She smiles at Rose and Dimitri before retreating into her office to get ready to meet Rose's parents.

"Good luck in there," Dimitri shakes Abe's hand and gives Janine a small hug. "She's tough today."

Rose rolls her eyes. "I did better than him today, I think. He's just pouty."

"I'm glad to hear that," Janine stands up pulling Rose into her arms.

The three of them converse while Dimitri schedules an appointment for next time. Dimitri watches Rose interact with her parents feeling proud of her for moving past all the hurt and accepting Abe back into her life. In so many ways, Rose amazed Dimitri. She is stronger than he imagined. His hearts beats fast in his chest when he sees her smile genuinely happy as Abe embraces her. This is how it should always be. Dimitri knows he failed her even though Rose and Deirdre tell him otherwise. Maybe he wasn't directly at fault for Rose being abducted, and Dimitri knows he has to come to terms with the fact that he's not Superman. He can't save everyone, but he should at least be capable of making Rose happy. The past five weeks, he hasn't done much of that. But he promises to himself, he'll do better. Eventually, the doctor calls Janine and Abe into her office.

Rose and Dimitri exit the hospital in high spirits. Rose hadn't felt like a person in a long time. Despite Rose telling her parents and friends over and over she's fine, they found it hard to believe her. They treated her like a china doll easy to shatter and impossible to put back together. Rose understood the situation hadn't been easy for them either fearing for her life, but they hadn't gone through what she did. And she is ready to put that behind her. Like Deirdre had said, nightmares and panic attacks will one day go away, but the relationships Rose has built will remain. It had been nice to speak to her parents, and they looked into her eyes. During the first few days, Rose felt their eyes on her full of pity, and she let them know she hated it. Her loved ones eventually hardly ever looked into her eyes when they spoke to her to keep their pity hidden. Everyone walked on eggshells around her just as she feared. But seeing Rose happy, genuinely smiling and in high spirits, had been contagious enough for her parents.

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight," Dimitri turns to Rose interrupting her deep thoughts. He places his hands on her hips and lets her wrap her hands around his neck. "We'll discuss moving in together among other things."

"Sounds like a plan," Rose stands on her tip toes and presses her lips to his in a chaste and soft kiss.

Rose pulls back enough to look into Dimitri's eyes. She sees the desire in them, but considering how they have never tried anything, she's not sure if she's ready for intimacy. And she won't know unless she tries. Bringing her lips back to his, Rose steps closer into his embrace burying her fingers in his soft hair and tugging gently. Dimitri digs his fingers into her hips and groans feeling the desire building in forgotten places. His tongue tentatively darts out feeling her lower lip. Rose grimaces and steps back recoiling as the memory of Nathan…

"I'm sorry," Dimitri gasps and reaches out for her but thinks better of it. Perhaps the last thing she wants right now is to be held. "I shouldn't have done that, Roza. It's okay. You're safe with me. You're safe. It'll pass."

"I know," Rose closes her eyes and shakes her head as if to shake the memory and tries to control her breathing. Her chest feels tight and a wave of nausea assaults her.

"Breathe," Dimitri coaches his fingers caress hers and she quickly grasps his hand. She squeezes tightly as her breathing begins to even. "That's it, love. You're safe. Everything is okay."

"Thank you," Rose says resting her forehead on his chest once the panic attacks subsides. "I'm sorry. That was all me not you."

"Don't apologize, please," Dimitri holds her gently giving her enough room to breathe and push away if she needs to. "My heart breaks every time you apologize."

"My heart breaks every time you do too," Rose looks up at him and caresses his cheek. "We should promise to stop apologizing. Deal?"

"Deal," he chuckles kissing her fingertips. Suddenly, he frowns. "We don't have to do this you know?"

Rose sighs immediately understanding what he means. "Yes, we do. At least I do. I can't even kiss you without thinking of him. I think he's taken over my life long enough. The faster we get this over with, the sooner I can regain control of my life. Nathan needs to be put away for life, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he does."

"You are fearless," Dimitri kisses her forehead. "I love you for that and so much more."

"I love you too, Comrade," Rose takes a deep breath and pushes away from him. "Okay. Let's go."

Dimitri leads the way into the station opening the door for Rose. Galina had left a message that morning requesting to meet with him and Rose. She left no details regarding the meeting, but Dimitri could tell by her voice that it wasn't going to be pleasant. Rose had responded that their meetings with Galina have never been pleasant. Even though the case required Dimitri and Galina to work together, Dimitri reassured Rose that the DA is finally keeping her distance. With Rose's approval to meet Galina, Dimitri called the lawyer back and set an appointment after meeting with Deirdre.

Rose and Dimitri walk hand in hand towards his office. His colleagues no longer pay them any mind. At first, their relationship was a hot topic wondering if it was ethical for Dimitri to continue leading the case considering how personal it had become with Rose's abduction. With Tasha on suspension for her tampering with evidence, Alto stepped in as chief. He deemed Dimitri capable enough of dealing with the case. Alto did promise an evaluation on Dimitri after what he did to Nathan to placate the protests of many. Some of the females in the station looked at Rose with envy that she had managed to steal Dimitri's heart. In a way, those looks made Rose very happy knowing how lucky she is to have Dimitri.

"Rose," Galina stands up. She had been waiting in Dimitri's office for the couple to arrive. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thanks," Rose shakes Galina's hand and appreciates the lawyer holding eye contact with her.

"Dimitri," Galina nods towards him. "Let's have a seat. Thank you both for meeting me. I was originally going to speak to you alone, Dimitri. To give you an update and heads up on the case, but this affects Rose as well."

"I don't like where this is going," Rose grimaces lowering herself onto the chair across from Dimitri's desk, where he sits his fingers interlaced. "Go on."

Galina sighs and meets Dimitri's eyes for a second. "We don't have enough to convict him of murder. Your case is strong against Isaiah, who is dead. We have enough witnesses claiming to have seen Isaiah lead the girls out back doors or following them home. But there's no evidence against Nathan except that they knew each other from their years in foster care and working for Zeklos Inc. Nathan claims he didn't know of Isaiah's murderous side."

"I knew it," Dimitri rubs his face tiredly. "Nathan has been smart enough to set up Isaiah as the killer. It's not like Isaiah can defend himself."

"Exactly," Galina turns slowly to face Rose. "What this means, and I'm sorry to say it, Nathan could walk."

"What?" Rose gasps. Her chest begins to feel tight and the air thins. She reminds herself to breathe. She can't panic just yet. Dimitri wouldn't be so calm if Nathan is getting away with it. "What about what he did to me?"

"I can charge him with kidnapping which will put him away for twenty years, and aggravated assault which can be up to five years. We're looking at twenty five years in prison. However, I doubt a judge will convict him for long considering Nathan has no record prior to this." Galina shakes her head and looks into Rose's eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish I could do more but the evidence is just not there against the asshole."

Dimitri slams his fists against his desk and gets up. He starts pacing his office running his hands through his hair. "What about the fact that he confessed to Rose? He told her he killed those girls. He confessed to have enjoyed it. The sick son of a bitch can't get away with murder and what he did to Rose. There must be something we can do."

Galina shakes her head. "He claims she's lying. He said he never said those things to her. It's a case of her word against his, and while I believe Rose, it doesn't help us in any way. There's no solid proof that what he supposedly admitted to is real. A jury will want to see tangible proof. Unless you can find evidence that Nathan murdered those girls, there's nothing we can do except go forward with charging him for abducting Rose."

Dimitri curses in Russian. "I should have let Abe cut him into pieces."

"What?" Galina takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Rose remains quiet working to control her breathing and not panic. Despite all the hard work Dimitri had put into building his case, it was all falling apart before their eyes. Nathan could get out in less than twenty five years. Rose will have to live in fear that he will come back for her after despite hearing what Abe did, cutting Nathan's hand off. Rose still feared Nathan would get out one day and finish what he started. Her only comfort was Dimitri's promise that Nathan will be put away for life.

Rose tunes out Dimitri's conversation with Galina. She has heard everything she needs to hear. Closing her eyes, Rose relives the night Nathan took her vividly. From his arm around her neck pressing the chloroform to her nose and mouth to the sound of scissors snapping away at the fabric. She opens her eyes as something from that night comes back.

"Hair," Rose whispers.

"What was that, Roza?" Dimitri stops whatever he was saying to Galina and turns to Rose. "Hair?"

"Yes, hair," Rose stands up excitedly. "Nathan likes to collect hair from his victims. He cut a strand of mine and said it was a souvenir. I'm sure he did the same with the other girls. He has to have kept it somewhere."

"You searched his home, right?" Galina turns to Dimitri.

"Of course," Dimitri scoffs. "We will look again. I'm going to take Eddie and tear that place up." He holds Rose's hands in his. "Are you okay to go home on your own?"

"Yes, go," she throws her hands around him. "Put the bastard away."

"For you," Dimitri hugs her tightly and says into her hair. "I would do anything, Roza. I will see you later for dinner."

"Okay," she lets go him, and he wastes no time in leaving the office already calling Eddie. "Be careful!" Rose calls out after him.

"He always is," Galina replies startling Rose, who had forgotten the DA was still there.

They both sit in awkward silence for a few minutes. The only reason the meeting has remained so civil is because of the situation. Galina's job is putting away criminals, and she takes it personally when those criminals walk away or don't get the punishment they deserve. With Dimitri gone, Rose wonders how this meeting will end. Rose clears her throat and starts making for the door without another word to Galina, who looks through her expensive brief case.

"Wait," Galina calls out for Rose. "Take my card. If you think of anything else, call me."

"Okay," Rose tucks the card in her back pocket. "Thanks."

"Rose," Galina calls out once again when Rose tries to leave. "I owe you an apology. I have behaved like…"

"A bitch," Rose nods. "Go on."

Galina sighs, but Rose can tell there's a smile tugging at Galina's lips. "Sure. But I was going to say like a horrible person. I have not respected you or your relationship with Dimitri. I promise it won't happen again. I have learned my lesson. I'm only disappointed you managed to snatch the only good man around this town. You're very lucky to have someone like Dimitri."

"I know," Rose smiles. "I have known him since we were little. He's the best."

Galina nods. "Don't let him go, Rose."

"Never," Rose vows.

Rose pays the driver dropping her home. She stands on the street and takes a deep breath. Her chest feels tight as she looks up and down the street. Cars zip by as people head home after a long day at work. Some kids play on the sidewalk, birds chirp their last songs of the day, and sirens wail in the distance. _You're safe with me_ , Dimitri's voice in her head tells her over and over again. Even though he's not with her at the moment, Rose knows he's only a phone call away. But she doesn't need him or her loved ones right now. She's home and Nathan is in custody waiting to be put away forever.

With that cheerful thought, Rose goes into her apartment. Seeing as it is too early to get ready for dinner, Rose decides to occupy her mind and clean the apartment a little. She has never been tidy leaving it up to Lissa to be the clean freak. However, the past couple of weeks, with nothing else to do Rose had to occupy her time, so she got into the routine of cleaning. She starts in her room picking up dirty clothes and putting them in the washer. Rose smiles when she finds Dimitri's shirts among the pile. Briefly she wonders what it will be like to permanently live with him. With a chuckle, she realizes there won't be any difference. They basically live together only difference is Dimitri still has his apartment a couple of minutes away from her. Since almost the beginning of their friends with benefits relationship, Rose and Dimitri took turns sleeping over at each other's place. How foolish. They have been in a relationship for so long and never realized. Her fear of rejection, of being too damaged and not knowing how to make a relationship work was unfounded. Even with her abduction, Rose knows her relationship with Dimitri is still strong. The epiphany takes her breath away. They are strong and in love. They will get through everything together.

Tears of joy begin to roll down her cheeks and she hugs one of his shirts. She hasn't felt this free and happy in over five weeks. It's all thanks to him. Chuckling at how silly she must look clutching Dimitri's shirt to her chest, Rose tosses the clothes and starts the washer. As she cleans the kitchen, her phone vibrates in her back pocket. Dimitri's name flashes across the screen, and she pauses her music immediately to answer.

"Comrade?" Rose says her hand going to her stomach as it flips and turns.

"We found it, Roza," Rose can hear the smile on his voice as he gives her the good news. "We overlooked it. I should turn in my badge. I'm not as good as I thought I was."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Rose sighs in relief. "Where was it?"

"We found he has a deposit box in bank. We're sure that's where it is. Galina is calling a judge right now to get a warrant. I might be a little late to our date."

"It's okay," Rose looks at the time on her stove. "It's early enough. I was just cleaning up the kitchen, so once I'm done I'll go get ready. Take your time."

"I have to go. I'm sorry. I love you," Dimitri hurriedly hangs up the phone.

Rose puts her mop aside and leans over the counter, her hands covering her face. She begins to cry. Hot tears trail down her cheeks and her shoulders tremble with her sobs. Throwing her head back, she thanks the heavens Nathan will never see the outside world ever again. With the evidence piling up against him, Rose is confident the judge will give him life for the murders of ten girls. While this in no way will bring back those young women, it will give their families some closure and justice. As for Rose, she's relieved she won't have to live in fear he'll come for her again to get revenge or to finish what he started. And for the first time in a while, Rose feels a heavy burden lifted off her chest constantly making it hard for her to breath. It's all over. The fear and torment are behind her, and now she can focus on her life, her career. She can focus on her father and catching up on lost time. She can begin helping Lissa plan her wedding. And most importantly, Rose can finally be with Dimitri and not be afraid she's too damaged. If he's stayed so far, there's no way he's going anywhere. And with that knowledge, Rose wipes her tears and finishes moping the kitchen floor all the while she sings along to her music finally feeling free.

Half an hour later, Rose is putting away her cleaning supplies. Dimitri had texted her letting her know he's on the way home, and they're ready to celebrate. Just as Dimitri suspected, Nathan kept the victim's hair on his safe deposit box. As Rose skips toward her room, she stops on the hallway. Her stomach grumbles reminding her she hasn't eaten in a while and the cleaning has made her even more ravenous. Even though she knows she'll be eating soon with Dimitri, Rose can't wait. She turns around and heads back to the kitchen for a quick snack. Opening her snack cupboard, Rose hums and digs for something quick that won't completely spoil her appetite. Her hands push a box of crackers aside. A small pouch of colorful pills fall on the ground. Rose crouches and picks up the pills as a new kind of fear makes her hands shake.

"Shit." Rose mumbles sinking down on the ground resting her head against the wall. She closes her eyes and tries to recall the days before her abduction. She counts days over and over, and the results are the same. "How could I be so stupid?"

* * *

 **AN: Guys, this wasn't my best work, I know. I struggled with this as I haven't written in over a week. I also had some health issues that got in the way and work kicked my butt. But I'm trying my best to get better. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks as always for your reviews, favs, and follows.**


	12. Bedroom Hymns

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Bedroom Hymns

" _I'm pregnant," Karolina whispered staring down at the pregnancy test in her shaking hands._

 _Rose sat on the bathroom sink chewing on her thumbnail too stunned to say anything. In the hallway, Viktoria tapped on the bathroom door pleading to be a part of whatever was going on in there. Sonja had texted Rose to come to the Belikova's after school for the moment of truth. Karolina had confided in Rose and Sonja long ago of a possible pregnancy. Wanting her sisters there, Karolina had been sure they would have the house to themselves. With Dimitri working after school, and Olena running errands, it seemed a good time as any. The girls locked the door to the upstairs bathroom leaving Viktoria out of the loop angering the youngest Belikova, who threatened to report the suspicious activity to their mother, or worse their overprotective brother. With more reason, Karolina sobbed in silence dropping the test on the ground and burying her tear stained face in her hands._

 _Sonja kneeled in front of her older sister and rubbed her shoulders gently. Sonja's eyes briefly met Rose's, who jumped down from the sink and joined Sonja in attempting to comfort Karolina. Growing up next to each other and as an only child, Rose considered the Belikova's family. The girls were close and would sleep over frequently at each other's houses. They confided in each other with almost everything. Karolina kept the identity of the father a secret and would only tell the girls that upon hearing she could be pregnant, he broke things off with Karolina leaving her to figure things out on her own._

 _"It will be okay," Sonja whispered handing Karolina a tissue. "We will get through this together."_

 _Rose nodded. "We're here for you even if the deadbeat father refuses."_

 _"How can I raise a kid? I'm trying to get through business school. I can't do this…"_

 _"You're not listening, are you?" Rose leaned forward trying to meet Karolina's eyes. "You're not doing this on your own. We will help."_

 _Karolina chuckled and sniffled. "No offense, Rose, but neither one of us knows how to raise a child."_

 _"Mom does," Sonja added. "She's raised four kids on her own, and I think we turned out pretty good."_

 _"That's assuming she won't kick me out of the house," Karolina sobbed harder. "I made the same mistake she did getting pregnant so young. I'm going to have to drop out of school and…"_

 _"Hush," Rose wrapped her arms around Karolina letting her sob into Rose's hair. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Besides, Olena would never turn you away. I think if anyone knows how hard it is to raise a child on her own is your mom."_

 _"What about Dimitri?" Karolina sat back resting her head against the wall and wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes grew wide at the mention of Dimitri. "He's going to be pissed. He'll want to know about the father."_

 _"Then you tell him," Rose shrugged. "The deadbeat father deserves a good beating."_

 _Sonja shook her head. "Dimitri doesn't need to beat anyone else up. It's been a couple years since he beat the living daylights out of our own father. We don't need him to get in trouble."_

 _"Not the point," Karolina sighed. "I can't face him. I can't imagine how disappointed he'll be in me. I'm the eldest, and I should be setting an example for you all. How can I tell him I failed him?"_

 _"You didn't, Karolina," Rose moved closer grabbing Karolina's right hand in hers. "Your baby isn't a failure or a mistake. If anything, Dimitri will be proud if you get through this in one piece. I understand you didn't plan this, but you're a strong, kind, and loving woman, Karolina. You will be a great mother and together we will get through this."_

 _Before Karolina could reply, the girls heard the sound of the front door opening and Viktoria rushing downstairs no doubt to alert Olena or Dimitri of the suspicious activity in the bathroom. Karolina began to hyperventilate thinking of facing her mother and or brother so soon. Sonja stayed behind to help Karolina compose herself while Rose ran downstairs to stop Viktoria from saying too much._

 _"I can't understand when you mix Russian and English, Vika," Dimitri sighed. "Slow down and speak one language."_

 _"Vika," Rose called out urgently. "Come here."_

 _"No," Viktoria pouted her eyes glistening with tears. "You guys are always so mean to me keeping me out of the loop until you know you'll get in trouble."_

 _"Come here," Rose begged._

 _"What's going on, Roza?" Dimitri arched his eyebrow and looked directly into his best friend's eyes. He would know immediately if she tried to lie._

 _"Nothing, comrade," Rose chuckled nervously. "We just didn't let Vika join in on the gossip. It's okay. We let you join us."_

 _"It's okay, Rose," Karolina stood at the top of the stairs still sniffling but standing tall and looking very determined to get the truth out there. "I'll tell him."_

 _"Dimitri! Wait!" Rose called out running after Dimitri._

 _Upon hearing of the pregnancy, Dimitri demanded to know the name of the father. When Karolina denied him the information, her brother stormed out. Dimitri needed to calm down and not lose his temper with his sister for protecting the man who refused to help with the situation he created._

 _"I need to be alone, Roza," Dimitri said fisting his hands at his sides as he walked down the street._

 _"Okay," Rose panted as she tried to catch up to him. "But this isn't about you."_

 _"What?" Dimitri stopped in the middle of the street and turned to face her._

 _Rose didn't expect the sudden stop and collided with his chest. Dimitri, instinctively, caught her elbow pulling her close to him. Time froze for what felt like ages as they gazed into each other's eyes under the starry sky. With the dim light, Dimitri looked at Rose's lips. He felt a pull toward her to claim her lips as his own. To kiss her like no other man ever had or ever will. Rose felt her cheeks redden as he looked at her intensely. The warmth of his hard body pressed against hers made her sweat and lick her lips wondering what it would be like to taste his. The moment was shattered by a car honking and startling them. They hadn't realized they were frozen in the middle of the road. Pulling Rose out of harm's way, Dimitri moved them to the sidewalk where he kept enough distance between them. This was hardly the moment to explore his feelings for his best friend, who probably would never think of him as anything more than that._

" _What did you say?" Dimitri cleared his throat._

" _I, uh," Rose took a deep breath and willed herself to focus on the task at hand. "This isn't about you. You say you need to be alone, but it's not about what you need or want. It's about what Karolina needs, and that is her brother. She needs the support of her brother and the whole family. So what if she won't tell you who's the father? I don't think beating him up will change anything except send you to jail. Violence won't change his mind; you won't change his mind. He has decided not to be a part of your niece or nephew's life, and he might regret it later, but for now don't do anything you will regret. Your sister needs you, Dimitri. Are you going to step up for your family again? They count on you. We count on you."_

" _You're really something else, you know?" Dimitri sighed looking up at the sky and the infinite stars every single one paled in comparison next to the beautiful young woman standing before him. "Thank you."_

" _For?" Rose whispered._

" _Always being there," Dimitri stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms. Rose reflexively wrapped her arms around his torso closing her eyes and as always enjoying the warmth and love his arms brought. "You're always there for my family and me."_

" _Well, you have always returned the favor," Rose chuckled. "You're always there for me too. It's what friends do."_

* * *

As Rose stands in her closet wearing her laced underwear and staring at nothing, she wonders if her friends and Dimitri will be there to support her like she did twelve years ago for Karolina. Paul came into the world nine months later to a strong family built in love and support for each other. Karolina finished business school with everyone's help and now has her own business organizing events for Boston's elite. Despite having Paul at such a young age, Karolina prospered and prevailed both financially and as a mother raising Paul to be just as kind as his mother.

Mindlessly, Rose rubs her belly where she swears a small bump has appeared out of nowhere though she knows it's not. She had felt her little bulge and dismissed it as lack of exercise and regaining her appetite after her abduction. Of course now that she thinks about it, her appetite returning is the baby needing nourishment. With that thought, a small sob escapes her lips. She covers her mouth with her left hand and leaves the closet. She lowers herself onto the bed and coaches herself to breathe. There's no time for a panic attack. Dimitri will be home soon, and she has to compose herself enough to carry on tonight as if nothing is amiss. Rose is not strong enough to come clean tonight about her stupidity. Not tonight when Dimitri is expecting a night to remember, unlike their last night out. Besides, Rose can't be sure until she takes a pregnancy test. Only when the truth is in her hands will she accept what she has done.

Hearing the front door opening, Rose ducts back into the closet where she picks a laced navy blue dress that falls to her knees. In her paranoia of being discovered, Rose hopes to hide her small bump from Dimitri and perhaps any other tell tale signs that she might be carrying his child. Her hands rest on her stomach and her chest feels tight. His baby. Dimitri's baby inside of her growing and becoming stronger. But how can she tell him this? More importantly, how can they get through this when they haven't even gotten through their first test as a couple surviving a major traumatic event? Feeling the panic attack coming again, Rose wills herself to calm down as Dimitri calls her name from the hall.

"In here!" Rose shouts taking one last breath and stepping out of the closet.

Dimitri stands on the doorway, his hands behind his back and his eyes growing wide as he takes her in. Her dress is modest with a round neckline and half, laced sleeves. Though Dimitri knows Rose doesn't need to wear something revealing to take his breath away, there's something about her that makes him catch his breath and his heart to drum rapidly against his chest. Her beauty is like none other with her dark curls cascading down to her voluptuous chest. Or her exotic complexion like almonds and her warm brown eyes. How did Dimitri get so lucky to have her? Long ago, Dimitri would have never believed this moment would come. He would have never believed his best friend would become his lover and that he would be taking her out on a date to discuss moving in together and their future as a couple.

"See something you like?" Rose interrupts his thoughts. Her words bring back a memory of the night she was taken. The night in the bathroom with Dimitri, she had said those same words. "I'm sorry…"

"Everything," Dimitri smiles sadly also recalling that night. "I see everything about you. You look wonderful, Roza."

"Thanks," Rose tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. "What do you have there?"

"Oh," Dimitri pulls a bouquet of red carnations from behind him. "This is for you. I just thought we could do the whole flower thing before a date."

Rose steps forward taking the bouquet from his hands. She buries her nose inhaling the sweet scent and smiles at him. "Thanks. They are lovely."

"You're welcome," Dimitri leans forward to kiss her forehead. "Give me a few minutes to clean up and then we can go."

"Where are we going anyway?" Rose calls out as she makes her way to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase.

"It's a surprise," Dimitri shouts back from the bathroom before closing the door.

Rose rolls her eyes as she opens and closes cupboards looking for a vase. Opening the cupboard under the sink, Rose catches a glimpse of her colorful pills in the trash can. She pushes the pills further down the trash to keep Dimitri from seeing them.

"I have a surprise for you too," Rose mutters under her breath pulling a vase and filling it with water. "It will probably break us or makes us closer. Who knows?"

"What was that?" Dimitri frowns standing in the kitchen's doorway dripping wet from his quick shower.

"Just saying how lovely these are," Rose gives him a small smile putting the vase with water on the counter. "I love them."

"I'm glad," Dimitri whispers pushing her hair out of the way and whispering in her ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rose whispers back. "You're making me wet."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Dimitri chuckles.

"No," Rose turns around to face him. "You're literally making me wet."

"Oh," Dimitri steps back laughing. "I forgot. I'm sorry, Roza. I have ruined a perfectly…"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence before Rose kisses him with urgency. Her hands making quick work of the towel wrapped around his waist. Dimitri gasps against her lips when he feels her warm hand wrapping around his already aroused cock and begins to pump it. She starts slow as her thumb caresses the head.

Suddenly, Rose drops to her knees and before Dimitri can form a coherent thought, her mouth is around him. Her skillful tongue lick every inch of his endowed cock and takes him as far as she can in her mouth. She looks up at him and sees Dimitri's head is thrown back and his fingers are buried in her hair. As she continues to suck, her tongue tentatively flick over the head eliciting a moan from Dimitri. At the sound, he jumps back pulling his wet cock from her naughty mouth. He breathes hard and curses quietly in Russian.

"We can't, Roza," he says searching for his towel.

"Why not?"

"Because we haven't talked about it," Dimitri finds his towel and picks it up to cover himself and gives his back to her. "I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for yet."

"Dimitri," Rose puts her hand on his shoulder. "Look at me."

With a sigh and determined to be strong, he turns around to face her. Seeing her completely naked in front of him brings back memories of when she stood naked in the kitchen before. It had been that morning when she said yes to give their relationship a chance. Her skin seems to glow under the kitchen lighting and her eyes are wide with what could be fear or arousal, perhaps both. She steps out of the dress pooling around her ankles and runs her fingers over his exposed and still wet chest.

"I'm ready," she mumbles against his lips.

That's all it takes for Dimitri to pull her up into his arms and carry her to the bedroom. Somewhere along the way, his towel slipped leaving him bare. Their kiss deepens as he lays her down on the bed his erection resting against her stomach. His lips make their way down her neck as his fingers caress her moist entrance rubbing her sweet spot gently as if giving her the chance to change her mind, to stop him at any time. But Rose doesn't want him to stop. The thought that her stupidity could break them apart makes her long for him. Maybe this is their last time together or maybe not. Regardless, Rose misses him immensely and can't wait any longer. She can't wait to go to a restaurant where they will talk about intimacy when they have been intimate for the past ten years since their arrangement began. Despite the incident of five weeks ago, Rose can't allow it to dictate her life especially now.

She moans when his long fingers slide easily inside her distracting her from morose thoughts. Her decision has been made, whatever happens, if Dimitri decides he isn't ready for a child, she will live in the moment and enjoy however long they may have together. Even though it's selfish of her to take this pleasure and hide the truth from Dimitri, Rose is not strong enough to let him go just yet. She wasn't strong ten years ago and this time is no different. Whispering his name and begging for release, Dimitri pumps harder and kisses his way down her stomach and lower still. Pulling his fingers out of her, he licks her juices and looks up at her.

"I missed the way you taste," his tongue darts out licking her moist pussy.

"I miss you," Rose writhes under him as he continues to assault her sweet spot with his tongue. "Oh, my Russian God. Please."

Dimitri plunges his tongue inside her as his thumb works on her clit slow then faster until her legs tremble and her hands grip the sheets tightly. As she continues to shake from her orgasm, Dimitri pulls her right nipple into his mouth sucking and flicking his tongue over the sensitive flesh. Rose moans and arches her back burying her hands in his hair pulling him closer to her. Without warning, he flips them over so he lies on the bed with her straddling him. His hands rest on each side of her face forcing her to look into his eyes.

"You are in control now. We can stop any time you want." He whispers his heart breaking a little that he even has to say it, to remind her that a sick monster almost broke her.

"You shouldn't have said that," Rose looks down at their naked bodies making Dimitri wonder if what he said was the wrong thing to say. Before he can make amends, Rose looks up at him with a grin. "I may never want to stop. I can't get enough of you."

Her hands guide his cock sliding easily into her moist entrance. Rose sighs contently feeling so good, so right. It had been so long since they had been together like this. Five weeks of no intimacy made them closer in other ways, but she hadn't realized just how much she needed him. How much she wanted him like this. She begins to move up and down slowly every time she feels him buried all the way inside, Rose gasps and moans. Dimitri can't stop watching her bouncing up and down with her head thrown back in pleasure whispering something about a God. Dimitri was raised in a religious household and while they didn't follow the Lord's teaching to a T, Dimitri believed in the higher power and being good in life. The list of bad things Dimitri has done so far can be easily written. Rose is on that list. Living together, unmarried, and engaging in all kinds of sexual activities with Rose is one of Dimitri's biggest and least regrettable sins. He will continue sinning even if it keeps him from Heaven because he loves her more than his own absolution and salvation of his and her soul. He selfishly prays they can be together in this life and whatever comes after. He will always chose her, and the way she makes him feel.

"Roza," he groans grabbing her hips and digging his fingers into her soft flesh. "I'm sorry. I can't…"

Confused, Rose looks down at him as she opens her mouth to convince him to keep going, to keep making each other feel good. Dimitri takes her by surprise gripping her hips; he begins to thrust rapidly into her. She meets his thrusts with her own resting her hands on his chest. Her moans grow louder with every thrust that brings her closer to her release. Their bodies are moist with each other's arousal and sweat like declaration of their undying love for each other. No one else will make them feel the way they feel right now. Two people madly and deeply in love for each other willing to break bones and walk on shattered glass. Willing to defy every rule in society that said what they have is wrong. Friends with benefits turned into something more, something that was already more than they imagined. Rose submits to the pleasure completely and lets go throwing her head back calling his name as her orgasm makes every part in her body come alive.

Dimitri lets her ride out her orgasm rubbing her sensitive clit against him as her body trembles and her walls clench around him almost causing him to let go of his own control. But he can't be done yet. He doesn't want to be done. When he's sure she's done, Dimitri lays her back on the bed where he kisses her lips fervently.

"What did you call me a few minutes ago?" he pants as he pushes her hair out of her sweaty, flushed and glorious face.

Rose cheeks redden even more, if possible, and she averts her eyes. She realizes that it's time he knows her secret nickname for him. "Russian God."

"Why?" He chuckles though genuinely curious.

"Because there's no way you're human," she runs her hands over his glistening hard chest. "The way you make me feel is like otherworldly. Heavenly if you will. I don't just mean in bed, well, it's mostly because of that but you just I don't know make me feel safe and…" She trails off shrugging a little embarrassed.

"That's blasphemy," he whispers before claiming her lips and pushing back into her. She gasps at the unexpected and pleasant action. "My naughty girl."

"Harder, please," she begs digging her nails into his forearms.

"Keep begging and I might take mercy on you," he says moving at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Please, harder, Dimitri," her eyes roll to the back of her head as she meets his thrusts with her own.

Unable to hold back any longer, Dimitri picks up his pace all the while staring down at her. Her mouth parted in pleasure. Her beautiful moans in the back of her throat and her wild hair sticking to her face. Her brown soft eyes filled with desire rolling to the back of her head. Her left hand buried in his hair tugging at it, and her right grips the sheets her knuckles turning white. Her chest rising and falling with her labored breathing and her delectable breasts bouncing with his thrusts. Dimitri feels her legs tremble once more signaling she's close to another orgasm. He moves as fast as he can grabbing her hands and resting them over her head holding them in place with his right hand while his left holds him up. Soon enough, he feels her grow tighter around his cock and another scream escapes her mouth. Unable to hold back anymore, he lets go pushing harder until he explodes inside her grunting and groaning in pleasure.

Dimitri rolls over and lays next to Rose both breathing hard like they ran a marathon. She sighs and rests her head on his chest. With her left hand, she traces random patterns on his chest.

"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asks once he recovers his breath a little.

"Perfect," she smiles snuggling close to him and closing her eyes as her throat tightens. "You?"

"Incredible," he chuckles taking the hand that was rubbing patterns on his chest and kissing it. He holds her hand and looks at it for a few seconds in silence. "I guess we are not making it to dinner."

"I guess not. Deirdre will be disappointed." Rose yawns. "Want to order Chinese?"

"What would you say if I proposed?" Dimitri whispers almost hoping she won't hear him. The way her breathing catches tells him she definitely heard. "Hypothetically, I mean. I'm not saying it's not going to happen or that it will. I want to know your thoughts on marriage. Deirdre did tell us to talk about our future so… Even though we didn't go out, it doesn't mean we don't have to talk about it here. Rose?"

Rose jumps out of bed and grabs one of Dimitri's shirts putting it on. She begins to pace the room and chew on her thumbnail. She isn't ready to tell him. Hell, she isn't even ready to face it herself. If he hadn't brought up marriage, maybe she could have kept her stupidity to herself a little longer. At least get a test and confirm it to have proof not only for her but for him too. But who is she kidding? The conversation of marriage and kids would eventually come up. Their therapist had advised to speak of their future. And it's what Dimitri has wanted since they were young. A family. But Rose can't give him that. She doesn't know how to. She doesn't know the first thing about babies. Even though she helped out with Paul, Rose's assistance was minimal babysitting once he turned three and changed maybe five diapers. Besides the timing couldn't be more terrible. Not only for her but for Dimitri.

"What's wrong, Roza? Did I say something wrong?" Dimitri sits up on the bed and watches her pace. He gives her space and remains on the bed even though he wants to wrap his arms around her and chase away any doubts that she is not ready or fit for a relationship let alone marriage.

Rose opens her mouth to explain then closes it. "I think we're going too fast? I mean, we haven't discussed moving in together. I'm still trying to recover from… From what Nathan did. I can't… We can't…"

"It's okay, Rose," Dimitri curses himself inwardly for bringing up marriage. "I shouldn't have brought marriage up."

"Why did you?" Rose turns to him. She doesn't mean to accuse him; she's simply curious.

Dimitri shrugs. "I was just looking at your hand and thought how it would look with a ring on your finger. It's okay. I'm not proposing. I won't unless you're ready."

"What if I'm not?"

"Then I will wait," Dimitri stands up and closes the distance between them grabbing her hands and looking into her eyes. "There's much we still have to do together. You want to go back to school, and I might want to do more with my career. I do want marriage and eventually children with you, Roza. But I will wait as long as you need me to because I love you, and I want you to be happy. I will never force you to do anything you don't want."

"What if I'm never ready?" Rose begins to tremble feeling horrible that even though Dimitri won't force anything on her, she will.

"Where is this coming from?" Dimitri frowns rubbing her arms when he feels her shake.

Rose takes a step back and looks down at her hands. "I have something to tell you, but I don't know how."

Dimitri swallows loudly fearing the worst. "Do you want to break up?"

"Oh God, no!" Rose steps forward again but stops herself. "But you might want to break up after I tell you."

Million things run through Dimitri's mind as he waits for Rose to speak. Did something more happen between her and Adrian? Someone else? Does she not want to move in together anymore? Is she moving away to Istanbul with Abe? Dimitri shakes his head to rid his mind of the speculations. He can't jump to conclusions. Rose is standing in front of him her hands on her stomach and ready to make a confession that will change everything for them.

* * *

 **AN: Chapter (and story) inspired by Florence Welch "Bedroom Hymns." I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I'm actually quite happy with it. I'm hoping to have another chapter up very soon. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favs, and follows. I appreciate it!**


	13. Never Tear Us Apart

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Never Tear Us Apart

 _"It's a boy!" Karolina shouted happily tears running down her cheeks as she cut the cake revealing blue frosting._

 _The Belikovas, Dimitri, Rose, Janine, Lissa, and a few friends crammed into the Belikovas' living room where Rose, Sonja, and Lissa organized a baby shower for Karolina where the gender of her baby was revealed. Five months passed since the eldest Belikova found out about her pregnancy. While Dimitri had accepted that he won't know the identity of his nephew's father, convincing Olena to keep the baby had been harder. Rose's words to Karolina in the bathroom were true. Olena knew well what it was like to raise not one but four children on her own. The matriarch wanted to give the child up for adoption reasoning that Karolina had her whole life ahead and more options than Olena did in Russia. However, upon hearing the heartbeat of her future grandchild, Olena couldn't imagine life without the baby._

 _While everyone celebrated, Rose caught Dimitri sneaking out of the room after giving Karolina a big and warm congratulatory hug. Rose grabbed two pieces of cake and followed Dimitri out to the backyard. Dimitri sat under a big tree his father had planted during brief happy days. Dimitri tended to it only to prove to his family that they didn't need their father. The tree grew and stood tall and sturdy. He rested his head against the trunk and closed his eyes. Without a word, Rose sat next to him and set down the cake in front of them. They sat in silence for a while until Rose couldn't take it anymore. She was never very patient._

 _"What's wrong?" Rose put her hand on his knee and turned to look at him._

 _Dimitri felt the warm and reassuring hand on his knee and opened his eyes. He said nothing at first and simply gazed into her eyes full of concern and love for him. Those gentle eyes begged him to trust her. And he did because Rose has always been the only one Dimitri's ever trusted completely with all his dark secrets and hopes. There was nothing he could hide from her. Why would he? He loved her and trusted her with his life if it came down to it. "I wish I could have done more."_

 _"More?" Rose frowned. "For your family? You are doing a lot, Dimitri. You've become the man of the house providing protection and even financial stability when your father should have done that. It's a lot of responsibility to carry, but you have done so well."_

 _"You're always full of wisdom, aren't you?" Dimitri chuckled resting his hand on hers still on his knee. "And you say I'm the one with the Zen lessons."_

 _Rose shrugged. "I may have picked up a thing or two from you, Comrade."_

 _"I just mean, I wish I could have spared Karolina this," Dimitri rubbed his eyes with his free hand._

 _"Sure," Rose rolled her eyes. "You could have followed her around campus and made sure no boys talked to her. You could have given her condoms for her birthday instead of that really cute bracelet. Karolina is an adult who makes her own choices and mistakes."_

 _"I know," Dimitri shook his head. "I meant I wish she didn't have to raise a child on her own. I know, I know. We're all going to help, but I can't imagine what she must be feeling. Our father abandoned us before I kicked him out. She must be feeling abandoned again. The asshole who got her pregnant decides he has other things to do than raise his child. And what about her? What about her goals?"_

 _"Your sisters are really strong, Comrade," Rose began after remaining silent for a second thinking how to make him feel better. It was one of his attributes and flaws to carry the whole world on his shoulders. Somehow, Rose was always there to ease his guilt whenever he felt like a failure. "First of all, they're Russian. It's a given they'd be strong. Two, they were raised to be that way by a strong and loving mother. I think they can get through anything. Three, if you want to know what she's feeling, you just have to look at her. She's happy. I mean, I get what you're saying. She must be feeling pretty lonely, but I think as long as we are all there for her, she won't feel lonely too much."_

 _"You should be a life coach," Dimitri sighed. "But thanks, Rose. I guess you're right. I carry too much on my shoulders."_

 _"Just think, soon enough you'll be carrying your nephew instead of everyone's problems," Rose smiled and grabbed her plate. "Now eat your cake or I will."_

 _"I don't doubt it," Dimitri chuckled picking up his own slice._

 _After eating cake, Rose asked Dimitri to push her on the swing. When the tree grew big and strong enough, Viktoria had asked Dimitri to make her a swing. Out of a piece of wood and rope, Dimitri managed to make a swing and as long as nobody pushed too hard, the tree and the swing held up. Sitting on the piece of wood, Rose lets Dimitri push her gently._

 _"Do you want kids, Comrade?" Rose asked after several minutes of silence._

 _"Of course," Dimitri snorted. "Why do you ask?"_

 _Rose shrugged turning to look at him. "How many?"_

 _"As many as my future wife wants," Dimitri smiled goofily thinking of his future, and Rose couldn't help but smile back. She liked seeing him happy even if his future may not involve her. "Do you want any now that our nephew is on the way?"_

 _"No," Rose turned away as her smile faded. "I wouldn't know what to do with a kid. I'm nervous about helping Karolina. She's already enlisted Lissa and me as babysitters."_

 _"You wouldn't be doing it alone," Dimitri walked around to face her. "Hopefully you will have a husband that will help. You'll have your mother, my mother, Babushka and Karolina to guide you."_

 _"No offense but I don't want any of that," Rose looked down at her feet. "I don't want a husband or a kid. I'm messed up."_

 _"You're not messed up, Roza," Dimitri tilted her chin up with his thumb. "You're not messed up. And it is okay not to have kids, you know. It's not a requirement of life. You'll probably be the rich auntie spoiling all the nieces and nephews."_

 _"Including yours," Rose said sadly though she hadn't meant to. She couldn't imagine Dimitri married. She couldn't imagine being replaced by someone else._

 _"Including mine," Dimitri echoed just as sadly._

Who would have thought Dimitri's children would be Rose's as well. Standing in front of Dimitri still naked after their ravenous sex, Rose can't stay focused. Her mind keeps wandering to other days, simpler days when things with Dimitri weren't so blurred and uncertain. Sure, they kept their true feelings hidden from each other. It had been exhausting to pretend they were simply friends. But taking a chance on them has been the best choice Rose ever made. No matter how their relationship ended, if ever, Rose couldn't bring herself to regret choosing to love Dimitri. However, now she felt she could lose everything. She's not sure how he'll react. He says he wants children and a wife, but he most likely wants them later in life and in a different order. A wife, a home followed by children. Rose has messed up his plans. All due to her stupidity and one track mind. Speaking of one track minds, she has to focus.

"I forgot to take my pills," Rose begins to pace again her hands remain on her stomach.

"Pills?" Dimitri frowns noticing the way her hands rest on her stomach and rubs it gently every once in a while. He has never seen her this nervous; it frightens him a little. It's like she's afraid of talking to him. "I don't recall Deirdre giving you pills."

"No," Rose takes a deep breath. "My birth control pills."

"Oh." Dimitri clears his throat. "I'm sure it's fine. You can take them tomorrow. I don't think anything will happen if you missed them today."

"Five weeks ago," Rose closes her eyes. "I forgot to take them five weeks ago, and something already happened."

Dimitri remains silent and frozen trying to make sense of her words. To make sense of her actions. Her hands on her stomach… The appetite… Rose takes his silence as a bad sign, so she begins to ramble, to explain herself and her stupidity.

"Do you remember when we had sex in the hospital's storage room?" Rose fists her hands at her side to stop them from trembling. "I came home after my shift. There was a lot on my mind. Mason had gotten worse, and I was worried. I also kept thinking about us. I kept thinking about breaking up because I was afraid our arrangement could ruin our friendship. I thought about dating Adrian. I was tired I worked like sixty hours that week, and I just forgot to take them. You were shot at, and I went to help out. Then we had a lot of sex. I was abducted soon, and I haven't taken them since. I'm sorry. I was so stupid. I forget a lot, and that's why I kept them in my snack cupboard.

"And I thought it wasn't possible. I missed my period and blamed it on stress. I've been hungry a lot, and I thought it was because I was returning to normal getting my famous appetite back. And I vomited a couple times, but I kept blaming it on the trauma of being abducted. I can't believe I let this happen…"

"Slow down, Roza. Are you pregnant?" Dimitri whispers interrupting her rambling. "Is that what you're telling me right now?"

Rose swallows resting her hands on her stomach and looking down. "I think. I haven't taken a pregnancy test. But I'm 99% sure I am. I'm sorry."

"Stop," Dimitri holds up his hand, and Rose stops talking at once. Feeling defeated, Rose sits on the bed and begins to cry. "Why are you crying, Roza?" Dimitri kneels in front of her and rubs her legs.

"Because," she sniffles. "I messed it all up. I told you I would."

"You haven't messed anything up, Rose." Dimitri sits next to her and grabs her hand. He lets her cry for a second as he gathers his thoughts. "And you are not stupid for forgetting your pills. It's not like you made this baby on your own. I'm responsible too. Besides, I am happy."

"You are?" Rose turns to him her eyes red and cheeks stained with tears. She wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Dimitri chuckles and goes to the bathroom. Briefly, Rose appreciates his naked and firm ass as he walks away already lusting after him. Damn hormones already wreaking havoc in her body. When he returns with tissues, he grabs a pair of underwear much to Rose's dismay.

He hands her the tissue and kneels down again. "May I?" Tentatively, he reaches for Rose's belly. When she nods her approval, Dimitri rests his hands on her barely noticeable bump. "I can't believe I didn't notice you're pregnant."

"I didn't either," Rose sniffles and rests her hands over his. "Why are you happy?"

"Because of you," he gives her a smile that reminds her of an afternoon of blue frosting, spring breeze, and swings. "I understand the timing is not perfect. You and I still have a long way to go, but I am overjoyed about our baby, Roza."

Rose laughs and sobs. "I thought you'd be mad and want to break up."

Dimitri grunts and shakes his head. "I'm not that kind of man. It's like you don't know me, Rose."

"I do know you. I just… Like you said, we have a long way to go. You say you have things you want to do. You want marriage and then children. A few weeks ago, I didn't even think I was ready for a relationship. I don't know if I'm ready to give you everything you want. This is happening so fast, I just want it to slow down." Rose inhales sharply as her eyes burn with more tears.

"I know, Rose." Dimitri sighs and stands up running his fingers through his hair. "But we will be okay. You'll see. As long as we're together, we can overcome anything. We'll have plenty of help raising our child."

"What if," Rose avoids looking into at him and instead looks down at her hands interlaced on her lap her voice a whisper afraid to say her next words out loud. "What if I don't want to raise our child? Better yet, what if I can't? What if I mess him or her up? I'm not okay right now. I'm going through so much. Maybe it will be best if we give the baby up for adoption?"

"No," Dimitri swallows the knot forming in his throat at her words. He starts pacing in front her looking for the right words to convince her to keep their baby. He can't imagine his child, a boy or girl, with Rose's eyes and smile raised by strangers. No one will love his child like he and Rose will. He couldn't live with himself knowing his child is out there wondering why he and Rose gave him or her up and feeling unloved. "We can do this. You won't be doing it alone, and you'll get better. We'll keep going to therapy."

Rose finally meets his eyes, and she sees tears glistening in his eyes. The sight of him suffering makes her chest tighten. "Oh, Dimitri." She exclaims, her voice breaking.

"Tell me you want to give up our baby," he kneels in front of her again and breathes deeply trying to compose himself, to push back the tears. Even though giving up his son or daughter kills him, Dimitri understands Rose's struggle. She doesn't feel ready for motherhood. What kind of man would he be to force it upon her? To guilt her into keeping a baby just for Dimitri's sake? Feeling torn between his child and the woman he loves, Dimitri must make a choice. "Don't worry about me or my feelings and tell me the truth. If what you want is to give this baby up, we will. As much as it hurts…"

"No," Rose kneels next to him and pulls him for a hug. "Of course that's not what I want. I'm just scared."

"I know," Dimitri rubs her back as his tears roll down his cheeks. He feels a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders and his chest. "We will figure it out. I promise. I always take care of you and now our baby too."

"I guess we should find out for sure if we're pregnant," Rose pulls away and wipes his tears away with the tips of her fingers. "We might be getting ahead of ourselves."

"If you're 99% sure you're pregnant, I think that's as good as any pregnancy test. You're the best nurse after all," Dimitri gives her a small smile.

"Let's go," Rose stands up and extends her hand out to Dimitri.

"Go where?" He frowns but takes her hand anyway.

"Let's go get a test." She responds leading Dimitri to the closet where they find clothing and head out.

At the nearest pharmacy, Rose stands in front of a shelf filled with condoms, lubes, and of course pregnancy tests. Her left hand trembles as she reaches for a pink box. To her right, Dimitri squeezes her hand.

"We have been staring at this shelf for fifteen minutes," he chuckles. "They all do the same thing, Rose. Pick one."

"I just want to make sure we have the right test with the most accuracy," she replies without looking up at him and reading the product's description claiming to be better than the other box Rose just set down a second ago. "We have to be absolutely sure."

"We are," Dimitri gently takes the box from her hand tilting her head towards him with his index finger. "Tell me what's really going on? You were adamant we do it now instead of wait until the morning and now you're stalling."

Rose swallows and keeps her eyes lowered. "I'm nervous now." She finally meets his eyes. "What if I'm not pregnant? What if it's all in my head? Now that it's out there, the possibility of having a baby, well, I want it. I want it badly, Dimitri because it will be _our_ baby."

"Roza," Dimitri caresses her cheek with the back of his hand. "No matter the result tonight, I promise you, we will have children one day. Now, let's go. We still have to pick up the food."

Before Rose can change her mind, Dimitri steers her towards the check-out lane. An elderly woman rings them up giving them a sweet smile as she put the test in the bag. Rose fidgets with the box as Dimitri drives to their favorite Chinese place to pick up their order. The drive from the restaurant to home seems to take longer than usual. By the time they arrive home, Rose is on pins and needles. She sits on the edge of the tub gnawing at her thumbnail as the pregnancy test rests on the sink. Dimitri stands with his back against the bathroom door. His expression is unreadable, but Rose knows he is just as nervous as she is.

"Tell me what it says," she whispers keeping her eyes away from the test slowly showing a plus on the result window.

"We're pregnant," Dimitri responds breathlessly followed by his laughter.

He picks Rose up in an embrace his laughter contagious as ever so she joins him.

"You're going to be a daddy, Dimitri," Rose whispers resting her forehead against his feeling her heart full of joy and love which will only grow with their child.

He grins. "And you're a mommy."

Rose grimaces. "No way in hell I'll be called mommy. Mama. I always liked how you called Olena mama."

"Mama it is," Dimitri nods.

They stare at the plus sign on the test for a few more seconds both of them grinning and holding each other until Rose's stomach grumbles reminding them she hasn't had dinner, and their baby demands nourishment.

After eating, Rose rests her head on Dimitri's shoulder. They decided to eat in the living room and turned the TV on, but they barely watched. Both are lost in their own thoughts on the recent development. Rose can't keep her hands away from her now full belly of baby and food. The thought of giving the baby up came to her mind after the shock of finding her birth control pills half full in her cupboard. There's still so much she has to work out. Her mental health is top priority to stop having panic attacks and nightmares. But Rose feels hopeful that Deirdre will be able to fix her just hopefully in time when the baby arrives. Going back to school to become a doctor should be doable. Rose saw Karolina do it. Why can't Rose? With the help of Janine and now Abe, Rose could attend school and raise a child. Dimitri has promised to be there through it all as well. Even though his plans have been altered and out of order, Dimitri always knew this is what he wants. A family. Even better it's happening with Rose, his best friend. He had hoped to have a child later on when they have a home, and they aren't suffering from PTSD. But as Yeva says, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps the baby will pull them through this. Or maybe they'll pull through on their own for the sake of the child coming into their world.

"You should move into my apartment," Rose sits up straight and turns to look at Dimitri, who turns the TV off and gives her his undivided attention. He wanted to plan, to talk about everything not only because Deirdre thought it was important, but also because he is excited to begin planning their life together. But he allowed her to remain silent and gather her thoughts. No reason to push her too much in one night. "We have more space and we could turn Lissa's room into a nursery. It's also closer to everything. Hospitals and good schools. There's even a nice park nearby where we can take the baby… Why are you looking at me like that?"

Dimitri grins and pulls her in for a soft kiss filled with his awe and love. He buries his fingers in her tangled soft hair while she rests her hands on his bare chest. "So we're really keeping the baby?"

The way his eyes glisten with hope and joy makes Rose ache and know that this is a good choice. With his love and support, as well as her loved ones, she can do this. She can be a mother. "Yes. I'm just scared."

"I am too," Dimitri confesses pressing her hands to his lips. "I talk about family and kids, and I never told you how scared I am of being a failure. Of failing this child like my father failed me."

"But like you said, we're not our parents. You're _not_ your father, not even close. You'll be a good daddy." Rose pushes a strand of his hair back resting her palm against his cheek. "I always told you I never wanted marriage or kids. I've always been scared of never finding someone who will want me for who I am. With all my flaws and with all my damage. Even though I have you, and what we have is strong enough, I'm still afraid we're in over our heads. I'm afraid we'll end up like my parents fighting because we're too young, and we don't know what we're doing. I don't want that for our baby. I want him or her to have a happy family."

"We're a family, Roza," Dimitri moves closer to her resting his hand on her lower back. "We have been family for a long time. There's nothing to fear because I'm never leaving you. I'm never going to give up on us, on this baby and any other we may have. We have more support than our parents did when they had us. And we're certainly not seventeen years old. I'm turning thirty this year! I would hardly call that being young. Our careers are stable perhaps not the most ideal to raise a child, but we will figure it out. One day at a time for our little, unintended, and beautiful bundle of love."

His words awaken her desire for him. What did she do to deserve a gentle, loving, and amazing man like Dimitri? Rose may never know. But for now, she will take it. She will take him and everything he has to offer. Her hands tangle in his hair as she kisses him fervently. Their tongues dance. Teeth graze lips. Moans erupt from the back of her throat as he bites his way down to her neck where he sucks the flesh between her neck and shoulder. His hands grip her thighs pulling her on top of him. Once she's straddling him, Dimitri makes quick work of her shirt exposing her to him. He takes a moment to explore her curves. Her nipples hard with anticipation and her fuller breasts make Dimitri catch his breath.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers as his hands cup her breasts. Rose begins to grind her moist pussy against his erection concealed by his underwear. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Dimitri," she kisses him as he continues to assault her breasts and teasing her nipples with his thumb. She moans into his mouth as her hands release his cock from their confinement. Her hands wrap around his pulsating cock guiding it towards her wet entrance. "I love you so much it hurts."

"Roza," he groans when he slips into her still tight pussy. "You feel so good, love."

"You make me feel good," she murmurs against his lips as she begins to bounce on his cock.

Her movements are slow like the beginning of a sweet ballad. Feeling every glorious inch of him sliding in and out of her so easily takes their breath away. Soon, they are breathing heavily, and their bodies are slick with sweat but their eyes never waver from each other. Two different worlds reflected in their eyes. The heiress to a hotel empire that has never known what it's like to struggle but possesses a kind and fragile heart. While he's known his fair share of disappointments and failures. However, Dimitri's heart is pure and full of love and always tries to see the best in people. Two worlds colliding and exploding into a million stars each a symbol of their love for each other. Though they never intended to fall in love when they met as children, it happened and now, nothing will tear them apart.

The revelation and the sound of their bodies slamming against each other drive Rose insane. Her lips part with screams of pleasure as she throws her head back and grants Dimitri full access to her breasts. He hungrily assaults her nipples taking them into his mouth, biting gently, and his tongue flicking over the sensitive flesh. He cups her ass with both hands slamming her harder and faster until he can't take it no more meeting her movements with thrusts of his own. She rests her forehead on his shoulder and her hands dig into the couch.

"Don't stop," she begs against his shoulder. "Please, Dimitri. Don't ever stop…"

"Never," he promises against her chest where her heart beats wildly for him. "Never."

Exhausted after many rounds where Dimitri took her over and over again on the couch, on the coffee table, on the floor, and against the wall, he carries her to bed. As he lays a naked and sleeping Rose down, he pushes a strand of hair away from her sweaty face. He ponders whether to wake her and help her take a quick shower, but he decides against it deciding to let her rest. He presses his lips to her forehead and murmurs his undying love for her in his native tongue hoping to do it justice before covering her up. She turns on her side pulling the covers tightly around her with a small smile on her lips.

Happily, Dimitri settles down next to her where he watches her sleep peacefully. It has been a while since he has seen her sleep this profoundly. Making love all over the place couldn't have anything to do with it. They have been doing it for ten years, they developed strong stamina. He caresses her cheek as he recalls every encounter in the past ten years. Even back then, it wasn't just sex or fucking. It was always making love whether they knew it or not. Whether they wanted to admit it to themselves or keep lying to each other about the way they truly felt. Long before then, unintentionally and irrevocably, Rose and Dimitri fell madly in love. Now, the product of their love grows inside her.

Dimitri rests his hand against her belly rubbing it gently hoping to convey his love to their child. Rose stirs turning on her back giving Dimitri the chance to rest his head on her stomach. He begins to quietly sing Russian lullabies while his mind races to the future. A future with Rose by his side and their child running ahead of them catching butterflies. A future with the family he never had and would be damned if he allows anyone to tear him and Rose apart. There's only happiness ahead of them, Dimitri would make sure of it.

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 **AN: Why does this feel like the end? Maybe because it is? I'm not sure yet. I hate leaving this story in an odd number. I'll probably do maybe one or two more chapters just for my peace of mind. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, thanks for reading, following, favoring, and reviewing. I welcome your thoughts on this chapter and what you think I should do, continue or leave as it is.**

 **Another thing: if you are reading my other story, Cosmic Love, I have posted a poll on my profile for a title change only because I'm not completely happy with it, so if you would please vote and help me make up my mind, I'd greatly appreciate it. I clearly have a hard time making my own decisions lol. Thank you so much! Until next time!**


	14. Home

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Fourteen: Home

Sunlight streams in through the cream colored blinds drawing random patterns all over Rose and Dimitri's skin. The new day's light bathes the room signaling the beginning of a new day and endless possibilities. Rose and Dimitri sleep soundly for the first time in over a month. Before falling asleep, Dimitri made sure to turn off all alarms. Work doesn't expect him any time soon. Having found all evidence necessary to put Nathan away, Stan Alto gave Dimitri direct orders to rest and take care of Rose. As for Rose, her family knows better than to wake her early especially when they know nighttime brings nightmares and monsters with it. So for the first time, they sleep past eleven their steady breathing the only sound in the room.

Rose is tangled in the sheets resting her head on Dimitri's chest and her arm over his torso. His left hand rests on her ribs while his right is under his head. Warmth envelopes them keeping them in a bubble where the world doesn't exist and their dreams are reality. Dreams of laughter, love and peace much needed and wanted after everything they've been through. Both, lost in the comfort of their warm bodies pressed against each other, refuse to wake up. They refuse to acknowledge it's not just the two of them in the whole world, and soon enough they will have to face it. Face questions they have yet to find the answers to. Face incredulous looks wondering how they went from friends to parents in a matter of weeks. In due time, Rose and Dimitri will have to explain their love. Or will they? Who cares what everyone thinks. As long as the people they love understand what they have is real nothing else matters. And at the end of the day, they come home to these four walls the only witnesses to their love story.

The bubble bursts at the sound of Dimitri's phone blasting. Rose groans holding onto Dimitri tightly to keep him in place. She has been awake for a few minutes simply enjoying the sound of his heart beat singing his love for her, feeling his chest rising and falling with each breath, and the warmth of his skin under hers. She heard his phone vibrate secretly pleased he decided to turn the volume off for the first time ever. As a member of law enforcement, Dimitri's phone is always on. Only other time Rose recalls the phone being off was when she was recovered from Nathan's clutches. But after many calls, the phone no longer vibrates instead rings with the annoying sound signaling their moment is over. It's time to face the world and whatever comes with it. But when Dimitri kisses her hair and gives her a tight hug, Rose knows she can take on whatever life throws at her. She has found her strength again in the size of a sesame seed steadily growing in her belly.

Dimitri reaches for his phone blinking away sleep and keeping his annoyance in check. So much for resting and taking care of Rose. But as always, duty calls. It's the price he pays in order to keep monsters at bay from the innocent. Monsters that threaten his family. On the caller ID, Galina's name appears, and Dimitri's annoyance goes out the window. He sits up alert and ready for anything. His stomach drops hoping this time, it's good news.

"Galina," Dimitri greets clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry to wake you," she says hearing the sleep in his voice. "I know you haven't gotten much sleep lately, but I thought you might want to know. Nathan's sentencing has been moved to today. 2pm. I don't know if you and Rose want to be there considering how much this has hurt both of you, but I still want to let you know."

"Wow," Dimitri turns to Rose, who sat up straight with him her hands covering her naked chest with the sheet. He gives her a thumbs up signaling there's no bad news. "That was quick. I thought it would be at least a couple of days."

"I may be a bitch," Galina sounds proud of the title as she speaks which Dimitri ignores. "But I'm good at my job. Actually, this time it wasn't me. I thought it would be a couple of days, too. However, this judge seemed to have taken a personal interest in the case overnight. He called me early to tell me he was ready to sentence. It was strange in a good way, of course."

Dimitri frowns. "What's the name of the judge?"

"Justice Tarus. Why?" Galina asks.

"No reason," Dimitri turns to Rose, who watches him impatiently wondering what the conversation is about. "Thanks for letting us know. Rose and I will talk about it and make a decision."

"No problem," Galina says her goodbyes and ends the call leaving Dimitri and Rose to talk.

"What was that about?" Rose frowns moving closer to Dimitri.

"Galina," he sets the phone back down on the nightstand followed by rubbing his eyes. "She says today is Nathan's sentencing. She wanted to let us know in case we want to go."

"Okay," Rose frowns. "Why do you look so miserable though? This is good! It's almost over or do you think he will get away with a couple of years?"

"No, no," Dimitri turns to Rose, who tenses at the thought of Nathan getting anything less than life as deserved. "I am confident he will be put away for life. We gathered enough evidence. I'm just not sure it's a good idea to go. We don't have to put any more stress on you. Not now. It wouldn't be good for both of you."

At his last words, Dimitri places his hand on her stomach rubbing it lovingly. Rose smiles feeling his touch and even looks forward to the baby growing feeling Dimitri's hand constantly. Her smile soon fades as she realizes Dimitri might be right. Seeing Nathan might trigger a panic attack and unpleasant memories. Their baby and Rose don't need unnecessary stress. However, Rose feels the end to see and hear the judge sentence Nathan to life in prison. She needs to see this through to the end and be sure Nathan is truly gone. It's the missing piece in a puzzle she has yet to put together but without this, she won't be able to organize the pieces and get back to her life. To be on her way to motherhood and raise her baby in a stable home, unlike Rose had. With determination and fire in her eyes, Rose turns to Dimitri.

"I can do this," she takes the hand over her stomach and holds tightly. "I have to do this. For us."

Dimitri looks unsure, but when he sees the way her mouth forms a thin line and her brow furrows, he knows there's no way to convince her to change her mind. She's set on a path and will see it through. So with a sigh, Dimitri nods.

"I'll be there for you, Roza," his hand is on the back of her head pulling her closer to him and kisses her forehead. "I'll help you get through it."

"We will all get through it," Rose sighs turning to the nightstand on her side of the bed and grabbing her phone. "I'm sending a text to mom and dad. I think they'll want to be there too."

"Something tells me they already know," Dimitri murmurs getting out of bed, however, Rose doesn't hear him preoccupied with putting the message together.

As Dimitri pulls clean clothes from drawers for Rose and himself, he repeats Judge Tarus' name over and over. Dimitri knows of the judge. Damon Tarus has a reputation for being ruthless. There's no doubt in Dimitri's mind that Nathan will get what he deserves, but why would Damon Tarus get involved? He's Chief Justice. Throughout the case, Galina dealt with the Viktor Dashkov, First Justice and the judge assigned to their division. There's no doubt in Dimitri's mind that Abe must have something to do with how quick the case is moving, not that Dimitri is complaining. He just hopes Abe is not getting himself in trouble doing this. With how well things are going with Rose making an effort to give Abe another chance, Dimitri would hate for it all to go to waste and leave Rose devastated.

"Comrade?" Rose runs her hands up his sculpted back sending shivers down his spine and causing goose bumps on his flesh. "Are you even listening?"

"Sorry, love," Dimitri chuckles turning to face her. "I'm in my own world. What did you say?"

"I said mom and dad will be there," she begins to trail kisses all over his chest.

"You just called him dad," Dimitri says quietly unable to trust his voice feeling her soft lips on his skin stirring his lust for her.

Rose rolls her eyes her hands already moving down to his erect cock. "Why must you ruin the moment? Do you not see my hormones are getting the best of me?"

"We have to get going, Roza," Dimitri gasps when her warm hand wraps around him slowly pumping him. "We don't have a lot of time."

"Not if you keep talking," she winks and lets go. She turns away from him heading for the bathroom. "We definitely need a shower. Will you like to join me?"

Dimitri doesn't need to be asked twice. He takes off after her as she runs naked down the hall towards the bathroom giggling like a school girl. The sight of her breasts and ass bouncing as she runs, make his hard cock even harder, if possible. When he catches her, he closes the door behind him and presses his erection against her back his hands exploring her stomach and wet pussy. A finger slips inside her and she gasps turning her head searching for his lips. He meets her halfway and claims her lips in a passionate wet kiss as his finger slides in and out of her stroking her clit on the way out.

"I can't believe you're blaming the hormones for this," Dimitri murmurs against her lips as his free hand pulls on her right nipple. "We both know you're simply my naughty girl."

"It's your fault," she says each word breathlessly as two fingers now move in and out of her. "You're a damn God in the sheets."

Dimitri chuckles then bites on her neck gently causing her to moan loudly. He continues his work teasing her and taking her closer to her release only to pull his fingers out leaving her feeling empty and aching for more. With his eyes on her in the mirror, Dimitri brings his fingers coated with her juices and licks them clean. Rose bites on her lower lip and groans as her pussy begs to be fucked.

"Quit being a tease," she whispers turning to face him and reaching for his cock.

He stops her pulling her hands away from him. "You're much worse, Roza. Touching me and then running away. That's not right." He guides her fingers down her body and into her wet entrance. "Tease yourself. Feel what I felt and don't you dare come."

"What if I do?" Rose breathes as she obeys his orders and begins to play with herself. "What if I come?"

"Then I'll have no option but punish you," he groans as his eyes follow her every movement. Her fingers in and out of herself coated in her pleasure. What he wouldn't give to taste her? But the view is just as good.

"How will you punish me?" She moans her fingers brushing against her sweet spot as she pulls out.

"Disobey me and find out," he growls stepping closer to her to take her nipples into his mouth. She throws her head back and releases the moans building in her chest as her fingers move in and out faster. Dimitri continues to bite and suck until she can't hold back anymore. He smirks against her left nipple as he feels her shake and hold her breath. He knew she wouldn't, or couldn't, hold back. "I thought I told you not to come?"

"Oops," Rose sighs as Dimitri takes her hand covered in her orgasm and sucks them dry. "You did it on purpose. You knew I couldn't hold back especially with you touching me."

"You're right," he smiles spinning her around and bending her over the sink. "Now I have to punish you."

Before Rose could ask for details, Dimitri smacks her left ass cheek. She gasps at the surprise and grips the sink with both hands. When he smacks her again this time on the right, Rose bites her lip and throws her head back. If this is her punishment, than his will be not knowing how much she's enjoying it. But he doesn't need to hear her moan or scream in pleasure. In the mirror, he can see her eyes rolling to the back of her head, her chest rising and falling rapidly, and her lip caught in her teeth to know she's loving every second. He watches her ass turn a beautiful pink as he caresses her skin. His index finger runs down to his favorite hole and explores it gently.

"You're so wet," he doesn't try to hide the victory in his voice. "You enjoyed your punishment didn't you, Roza?" He clicks his tongue as he pushes his finger in just a bit. "That's not what you were supposed to do. You're being very naughty today. I should punish you some more."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she turns to look at him just in time to see him guide his endowed manhood into her. Her mouth falls open in a silent scream and turns away to keep him from seeing the pleasure on her face.

"You tell me," he groans pulling out completely and thrusting very slowly back in. He repeats the motion over and over again. Pulling out and giving it back to her in slow motion. If he continues, he might not make it long, but he wants her to lose control first. To admit how much she loves the way he fucks her. To tell him how much she loves him.

Rose doesn't want him to stop, but she does. The torture is killing her in the best of ways. She feels every inch of him sliding in with such ease she can't remember the last time she was this wet. But when he pulls all the way out, it's torture. She wants him buried inside her making her feel complete and stretching her to her limits. The slowness of his movements feel so good and so agonizing. This is true punishment, and she loves to hate it.

"Please," she gives in turning to look at him. "Please."

"Please what, Roza?" He grunts hearing her beg. He grips her hips digging his fingers into her flesh and tries to hold back. He can't let go yet. He's so close to hearing it come out of her beautiful lips swollen with desire.

"Please make love to me, fuck me, do something," her knuckles turn white as he thrusts into her hard.

"Is this what you want?" He pulls out all the way again and doesn't push back in. "Tell me."

"Yes, I want all of you. I won't be a tease anymore. I promise. Please fuck me."

"Oh, that would be no fun," he thrusts back in hard and doesn't move for a second simply stays buried inside her. "I love your teasing just as much as you love mine."

He begins to move faster pushing into her wildly like he's wanted the whole time. With his hands still on her hips, he pulls her against him matching his thrusts. In the mirror, he sees her breasts bouncing and her lips parted giving her screams of pleasure free reign. It doesn't take long for her to come undone all over him. Her legs shake and her walls clench around him almost making him come. But he's not done. He can't be. There's so much he wants to do to her and with her right here in the bathroom. There's not enough time in the day to love her, to ravage her body. His appetite for her is endless like a bottomless pit dragging him in getting lost in the darkness never wanting to be found. Never wanting to part from her and the way she makes him feel like he could fly if he wanted to. There's no where he would want to go though. This is home. Rose is home. His twitching cock has a mind of its own spilling inside her unable to stand the pleasure anymore. He continues to thrust as his own high slowly fades.

Rose collapses against Dimitri. She's already exhausted and in need of a nap. With the hormones and lust comes the fatigue. Other times, she could keep going until both of them are left hurting and begging for breath. Even if she wasn't exhausted, Rose knows they have a big day ahead of them. So with a few slow and chaste kisses, they jump in the shower. As he lathers her body with soap, his hands caress her body and if it wasn't because she looks exhausted, he would have taken her again in the shower. Dimitri understands Rose's need to be present for Nathan's sentencing, but that doesn't mean Dimitri likes the idea of them in the same room. The last thing he wants is to set Rose back into a world of nightmares and her gasping for breath because of a panic attack. Their baby doesn't need the stress. But he will support her. If this will help her move on, then so be it. He'll be there to hold her hand throughout it all.

They dressed in silence and as Rose works on hair and makeup, Dimitri heads to the kitchen to fix a quick breakfast. Out of the fridge, he pulls out milk, blueberries, strawberries and oranges. As he works on slicing the oranges and strawberries, Rose waltzes in. Dimitri does a double take and sets the knife down for safety reasons. When they were dressing, Rose had put on a pair of jeans and simple shirt. Now, she stands in front of him wearing a tea length, round neckline and sleeved red dress. Her hair falls straight, below her chest with one side pinned up by a silver floral pin.

"You look gorgeous," Dimitri says meaning it but frowning at her choice in attire. Rose had avoided the color red like the plague for the nightmares the color brought to her.

Rose seems to read his mind. "I want him to see me. I'm free and happy with the man I love. He didn't break me like he wanted to, and he will have to live with that."

Dimitri gives her a small smile and extends his hand out to her. She takes it falling into his arms like it's second nature. "You're very brave, Rose, but I hope you know you don't have to do this. We can go see Deirdre instead and work through the day with her."

"No," she murmurs against his neck. "I'm strong enough. And as long as you're by my side, I can do this."

"Always," Dimitri wraps both of his arms around her as if to shield her from the unforgiving world that almost broke her precious heart he loves so much. "I know you're strong. I admire you, Roza."

"Me too," she mumbles. They burst into laughter at her choice of words. "I mean I admire you too, Dimitri. You have been with me through it all. From the very beginning, you've been a constant in my life. I can never thank you enough, and I'll always be sorry for making you feel like any of this is your fault."

"I love you, Rose, and it's all in the past. We're both done apologizing, remember?"

"I know," the fruit and cereal catches her eye. Her stomach grumbles ending the moment between them. With a chuckle, Dimitri pulls her towards the food.

By ten past two, Rose and Dimitri are entering the court house. Their morning took longer than planned thanks to the distraction in the bathroom. When they enter the court room where Nathan's sentencing is occurring, Rose is surprised to find it almost full. The parents of the victims sit in the front rows crying into tissues and holding each other together. Nathan, flanked by two menacing looking guards, stands in front of the judge, who reads the evidence collected by Dimitri and Eddie. At the sound of the door opening, several people turn their heads including Nathan. Rose's hand squeezes Dimitri's tightly as Nathan looks over her. There's no emotion in the monster's eyes at first until he looks at the dress. Red. A smirk begins to appear on his lips when suddenly it disappears, and he turns his head abruptly back to face the judge.

"Over here," Abe taps Rose's arm, and it's then she knows why Nathan looked away. When Dimitri told her about Nathan losing a hand because of Abe, a part of her was glad the monster is suffering while another part was concerned Abe would be in trouble. Now, she can only imagine what went through Nathan's mind seeing Abe. Nathan must have known who the foreigner with flashy and expensive clothing is to turn away so abruptly. "You're late. They started early. A few of the victim's families said a few words. It was very sad."

Abe's face falls no doubt wondering if he would be here too sharing his pain with the world if he had lost Rose to Nathan. Seeing the sadness, Rose grabs his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze and without the need for words, Abe understands. They're okay. She's completely forgiven him, and he will never have to suffer being apart from his daughter again.

"Do you have anything to say?" Judge Tarus says looking up at Nathan, who opens his mouth to say something only to be interrupted by Abe sneezing. Several people turn to look at him including the judge, who Rose swears rolled his eyes. "In that case, I'll proceed to your sentencing."

Nathan is given life in prison with no chance of parole. Some people clap while others don't look satisfied Nathan gets to live while their beloved daughters don't. While it's not fair, Rose is glad it's over. It's like she can breathe again like a ton of bricks has been lifted from her chest and she's finally free. Hand in hand, Rose and Dimitri exit the courtroom with Janine right behind them. Abe disappeared a few seconds after with Pavel next to him. Rose narrowed her eyes on them and promised herself to have a conversation with her father about meddling where he shouldn't.

"Let's go celebrate," Janine exclaims placing her hand on Rose's back. "Your father tells me you eat half your weight again."

Rose rolls her eyes. "If that were the case, I'd be the size of a whale."

"You'd be the most beautiful whale," Abe jokes coming up behind them.

"That's not a compliment, Abe," Dimitri says amused at the death glares Rose is giving her father. "You better take it back."

"Yes," Rose points her finger at Abe. "You better behave. Don't think I didn't notice what you did."

"What?" Abe's eyes grow wide in mock innocence. Dimitri can't help the smile on his lips that Abe's been caught.

"You paid him, didn't you?" Rose whispers just loud enough for the four of them to hear. "The judge."

"My darling daughter," Abe places a hand on his chest as if wounded by her words. "What you say is preposterous and highly illegal. While I am not above it, no. I didn't pay my good old friend Damon. He actually owes me many favors. All I did was ask him to speed things along." Abe shrugs.

"Ibrahim," Janine gasps pulling on his ear playfully. Secretly, she's thankful. As a mother and woman, she wanted nothing more than claw Nathan's face off. This will have to do. "Stay out of trouble."

"As entertaining as this is," Rose grins. "Dimitri and I have to move his stuff into my apartment."

"You're moving in?" Abe frowns as he looks at Dimitri then Rose inspecting them. He sees them holding hands and standing close together there's no telling where one begins and the other ends. "Together?"

"Yes, old man," Rose turns to smile widely at Dimitri. "We thought it was time."

"But you've only been dating for weeks. Are you sure?" Janine asks concerned with Rose's sudden change of heart. "Not that I'm not happy for you both, but you've always been so careful, honey."

"Mom," Rose sighs. "Respectfully and fearful for Dimitri's life, it's best you don't know the details. Just know, I am happy and sure of us."

"I promise, Janine," Dimitri reaches out to Janine with his free hand. "I won't hurt her."

"Oh, I know," Janine's eyes glisten with tears. "I know you won't hurt her, silly boy."

"Why are you crying, mom?" Rose lets go of Dimitri's hand and embraces her mother.

"I'm just so happy," Janine sobs into Rose's arms. "I'm so glad this nightmare is over, and you're happy, baby. That's all I want for you; happiness."

"I found it, mom," Rose whispers in her ear.

"Then I guess it's time," Abe turns to Pavel and nods.

"Time for what?" Rose turns to suspiciously glare at Pavel, who moves closer to Dimitri.

"Time for initiation," Abe says. "Don't wait up."

"What?" Rose protests reaching for Dimitri who is already halfway down the steps of the court house. "We have to move."

"Don't fret," Abe waves his hand in the air dismissively as he presses his phone to his ear with the other. "I'll take care of it. Go with your mother and spend some time together before the Russian steals you away." With a wink, Abe takes off after Dimitri and Pavel.

"Why did you marry him?" Rose sighs watching the three of them disappear in a black Jaguar. "He's infuriating."

"Who does that remind you of?" Janine looks pointedly at Rose.

"I'm not infuriating," Rose protests indignantly.

"Yes, you are," Janine takes Rose's hand leading her towards the parking lot where Dimitri left his car. "Now that your father is gone, tell me exactly what happened between you and Dimitri."

"I told you," Rose blushes and looks away. "It's best if you don't know."

"Don't make me find out through your father," Janine begs. "You know he'll find out, right? What do you think it's initiation? They're going to get Dimitri drunk and find out his deepest darkest secrets, so you might as well tell me, so I can do some damage control later."

"Well, good luck to the old man. Dimitri has a lot of tolerance for liquor."

"It's only three in the afternoon," Janine glances at her watch. "How many hours can Dimitri stay sober?"

"True," Rose sighs. "Fine. I'll tell you everything. Let's call Lissa and Sydney. I'll need witnesses in case you want to murder me."

Laughing, Rose and Janine make their way to a restaurant nearby to talk. Rose and Dimitri discussed when they would break the news to their families about the baby while in the car. They agreed to wait until the end of the first trimester when Rose was out of danger of miscarriage. For now, Janine and Rose's friends would have to wait and content themselves with the tale of her sins with Dimitri.

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 **AN: Thank you for helping me make up my mind. I spent all day writing feeling inspired by your love. Thanks again for reading, reviewing and following. And I will talk to you one last time in 3... 2... 1...**


	15. How Long Will I Love You?

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA and its characters. Plot is all I own. No infringement intended.**

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Chapter Fifteen: How Long Will I Love You?

 _Seven Months Later_

The baby kicks Rose awake as if reminding her she needs to finish this application to yet another school. Rose sits up blinking sleep away and rubbing her enlarged belly letting the baby know that mama's awake and focused. However, she's now distracted by the baby's activeness moving in her belly excited probably proud of mama going back to school. With a grin, Rose continues to rub her belly recalling the past seven months. Three months after Nathan's sentencing, Rose and Dimitri announced their pregnancy to their families and friends in what was disguised as a house warming party. Everyone had been excited and pleased.

"I'm a little surprised it took so long," Lissa commented rubbing Rose's growing belly, which Rose was getting tired of covering up with lies.

"What do you mean?" Rose chuckled. "Dimitri and I just started dating."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Oh quit it. Everyone here now knows of your arrangement. You two have been dating for ten years get over it. Which is why I'm surprised you didn't end up pregnant sooner considering how much sex you have had."

"Lissa," Christian chastised shaking his head though trying hard to hide his amusement.

The only one unamused by the arrangement had been Abe only because he didn't want to hear about his precious daughter's deflowering and sex life. Rose wasn't ashamed though. She was used to Lissa's and Sydney's teasing over the past ten years. Dimitri, though, looked like he wanted to be in another planet and not in the same room as the mobster father in law. The night Abe called initiation was also a night of threats. In between vodka shots and slurred speeches welcoming Dimitri to the family, Abe took the opportunity to threaten Dimitri. In colorful detail, it was described what would happen to Dimitri's manhood if Rose was ever hurt. Abe, however, knew Dimitri would never do anything to intentionally hurt Rose. The threats were just a way for Abe to amuse himself. In truth, Ibrahim Mazur had a lot of respect for Detective Belikov, who possessed the courage Abe never had to fight for his family. Rose was in good hands and now so is the baby.

The sound of the key in the lock disrupts Rose from her thoughts. She turns hear head and sees Dimitri struggling to open the door as he carries a million bags. Rose struggles to get up from her the couch to help him.

"I got it, Roza," Dimitri announces when he hears her struggle. "I did most of the work already anyway. Lissa's been glued to the phone."

"Oh hush," Lissa pushes past Dimitri and heading straight for Rose. "If you can handle Rose, the baby, and criminals, I'm sure you can handle a couple of bags, Dimitri."

"She's right," Rose chuckles allowing Lissa to rub her belly and whisper sweet words to the baby. "How's Christian?"

"He's well," Lissa sits back on the couch putting her feet up. "He'll be back in time for the baby shower don't worry."

"He better," Rose threatens. "Who else is going to keep you in check?"

"I miss him," Lissa pouts. "He's been gone for too long."

"You knew what you were getting into when you decided to marry the son of diplomats," Rose teases though she rubs her friend's shoulder in encouragement. "Where is he now?"

"Australia," Lissa sighs. "I wish I could go with him."

"Why didn't you?"

Lissa scoffs. "My baby niece or nephew obviously. This baby is coming and I'll be damned if I miss the birth."

Rose smiles grateful to have Lissa by her side. With Dimitri gone all day for work, Lissa is a steady companion since Christian is traveling with his parents learning the ropes as he follows in their footsteps. For the past month, Lissa and Rose had been planning a baby shower. Today, Rose had decided to stay and finish her applications volunteering Dimitri to go shopping with Lissa for the shower in two days. With the pregnancy coming to an end, Rose didn't have much energy anyway and any excuse to stay home was welcomed. Rose is definitely excited about the shower choosing then to announce the gender of their baby due in a month or so. But she is constantly exhausted. She must be paying the price of having so much sex with Dimitri because they haven't had any in so long.

Lissa rambles on about the baby shower as Rose's mind wanders to a few months ago when Dimitri and her had sex all over the living room. She bites her lower lip as she watches Dimitri move around the kitchen putting stuff away. Her eyes linger on his ass almost anxious to see him naked again. It's like suddenly she has enough energy to run around her neighborhood ten times, but a nasty thought rears its ugly head again. Watching her bump grow has been Rose's greatest joy. With that joy, however, came marks, and the nasty feeling of being unattractive. Perhaps the lack of sex for long left her wondering if Dimitri finds her desirable anymore.

"Rose?" Lissa waves her hand in Rose's vision claiming her attention. "You're not listening are you?"

"Hm?" Rose says absentmindedly. "Sorry, Liss. I'm just tired."

Lissa's eyes follow Rose's and understanding dawns in Lissa's jade eyes. "I can take a hint." Lissa begins to get up. "I guess I'm going home. Maybe I'll call Christian back for some phone sex."

"You don't have to go," Rose pleads as she struggles once more to get up. "I'm sorry. I'll give you attention."

"It's okay, Rose," Lissa chuckles helping Rose up. "Get some from your Russian God while you can. When this baby comes, you won't have time for much. Enjoy!" Lissa kisses Rose's cheek and plants a kiss on her belly too before grabbing her purse from the counter. "Bye, Dimitri! Be good. Or naughty whatever you are in the mood for."

"What is she going on about?" Dimitri chuckles.

"I don't know," Rose shrugs waddling towards him. "What's all this stuff?"

"Decorations for the shower," Dimitri digs through the bags pulling out pink and blue ribbons. "She's going to go all out just so you know."

"I wouldn't expect any different from her," Rose nods taking a pink bow and putting it over her belly followed by putting a blue one Dimitri's head. "It's her job after all."

"Are you ready?" Dimitri rubs her belly his eyes never leaving hers to catch any signs of apprehension or any other emotion.

"Yes," Rose smiles. "Are you?"

"I've been ready," Dimitri kisses her lips, and Rose leans into the kiss deepening it.

He had been good at keeping his lust in check. The first few months of her pregnancy, it was sex nonstop with her hormones raging and every part of her body being so sensitive a single touch of their lips made her crave him. As time passed though, Rose felt exhausted all the time falling asleep before her head hit the pillow. Which was fine with Dimitri, who was nearing the point of exhaustion himself. He's not tired of her or her body. He'll always want her, but throughout the night, Rose would wake uncomfortable or craving strange things Dimitri never heard of. But as the dutiful boyfriend, Dimitri went out in the middle of the night to find fried mushrooms or pickled asparagus. But when she kisses him with such passion and longing, Dimitri can hardly hold back.

"Are you sure?" Dimitri mumbles against her lips. "I'm sure you're tired."

"Shut up and make love to me," Rose snaps pushing the nasty thought telling her he doesn't find her attractive anymore.

Dimitri proves that thought wrong ripping her shirt off exposing her enlarged breasts. His thumb barely touches it, and Rose is already gasping and moaning. When he takes a nipple into his mouth, Rose groans gripping his hair pulling him closer.

Rose doesn't recall the moment they made it to the room. She is on her back on the edge of the bed completely naked, no doubt her torn clothes all over the apartment. Dimitri pulls a pillow from the top of the bed helping her adjust and make her more comfortable as he positions himself between her legs with them bent. Slowly, he slides into her being as gentle as possible. It's hard to take it slow when both them are used to being rough, going fast and hard. But slowly sliding in and out of her feels just as good which Rose proves as she moans and her hands grip the sheets tightly as she comes undone.

"Do you think when the baby arrives we'll be too tired for this?" Rose murmurs laying on her side as she traces patterns on his naked abdomen. The first time after a while, Rose didn't last very long coming undone more than twice under him and his skillful hands.

"I hope not," Dimitri responds his hand always on her belly. "I have no doubt we will struggle and will be tired, but it'll be a matter of getting used to it and finding balance. We will be okay, Roza."

"Do you think I'm still attractive?" Rose keeps her eyes on her fingers still tracing his glorious, hard rock abdomen.

"Of course," Dimitri sits up and turns to look at her laying on her side in all her naked glory. "I think you're the most gorgeous, unbelievable woman I have ever laid eyes on."

"That will change," Rose sighs. "My body is different. I have stretch marks, and I'm as big as a whale."

"You're the most beautiful whale, remember?" Dimitri and Rose chuckle recalling Abe's old joke. "Where is this coming from?"

Rose shrugs and finally looks up at him. "I don't feel attractive. I love my curves, yes. It means I'm carrying our baby, but it doesn't mean I like what I see in the mirror."

"I see a strong mother," Dimitri explores her thighs. "You're right. All these marks and all these curves show what you're capable of. And that, to me, is beautiful and sexy."

"Thanks, Comrade," Rose smiles and stretches her hand out to him calling him back to her. "I needed to hear that."

"I guess I'm not doing a good job at reminding you," Dimitri says kissing her shoulder. "You're hands down the most attractive, sexiest, and most beautiful woman on this planet, Roza."

"For now," Rose replies giggling as he kisses her neck.

Two days later, Lissa is the Godzilla of baby showers. She barks orders left and right to Dimitri, Abe and Christian to get the banner right, set up the tables, and blow up balloons faster because there's still too much to do. Rose sits on a stool in the kitchen eating a cupcake. Lissa wouldn't let her help in any way because this party wasn't just for the baby, it was for Rose too. This is to celebrate Rose's motherhood and progress. The last therapy session had been the previous week. Deirdre had given the all clear for Rose to get back to work long before then, but Rose had decided to take the time off to tour campuses and research schools with flexible classes now that her baby is coming.

In the kitchen, Olena and Janine bake cupcakes while Viktoria and Karolina frost them with pink and blue frosting. Sonja and Paul keep busy setting up the table with the food Abe and Pavel brought from Rose's favorite Turkish restaurant. Yeva sits next to Rose in the kitchen as she knits. Yeva had, somehow, found out about Rose's pregnancy before anyone else. On the day Rose and Dimitri announced it, Yeva had pulled out a present for them only to reveal a pair of tiny socks she knitted. They hadn't opened the present until everyone was gone, per Yeva's orders. The color of the socks revealed the gender of their baby they would later make the connection when the doctor told them a few months ago. It had been a rough couple of weeks keeping the secret especially with their families and friends digging for the truth.

Today, the torment would be over. A few hours later, people started showing up. Sydney and Adrian showed up first. Seeing them together eventually erased all the weirdness Rose felt over her flirting with Adrian a couple of times. They were made for each other. Sydney was always reserved even though Rose and Lissa had tried to no avail to help her come out of her shell. With Adrian, it is easy for Sydney to be more outspoken. Adrian, while committed to his profession as doctor, had the nasty habit of smoking. Sydney was the inspiration the young doctor needed to quit for good and looked much better. Rose is happy to see her friends together living a charmed life.

Mason and Mia showed up afterwards. Mason had recovered quickly after being diagnosed by Rose. While there is no cure for his disease yet, there is medicine to manage it, and he's capable of leading a normal life. He had been devastated when he heard what happened to Rose even more so that she wasn't coming back to work until he heard of the news of her pregnancy. Both of them showed up with a big box for the baby. Rose didn't have to be psychic like Yeva to know the baby just got a stroller.

Eddie and Angeline, a very attractive and smart lab tech, arrive to the party bringing presents for the baby. Soon the apartment fills with the smell of food, the sound of laughter and music in the background, and the warmth of love and support. Rose always knew she is loved. Even back when she felt abandoned by her father, she had the love of her friends and mother. Now, as she looks around her eyes lingering on her parents whispering to each other and Janine's blushed cheeks, her life is complete. There's nothing else she needs because it's all here around her covering her in an invisible blanket of love and acceptance.

She no longer feels damaged. She no longer feels fear. All of it is in the past and there's no room in the present and future for negativity. From here on out, it's happiness. Dimitri has made many promises throughout the years his most famous being to always take care of her and now their baby. Her eyes rest on him smiling as he converses with Adrian, Eddie and Christian across the room. He stands above them in height and body build. He's always been taller and broader than other men, but in that moment, Rose wonders if he seems larger than life because of her love. There's no doubt in her mind that he could protect them from physical harm. No one else makes her feel safer than Dimitri. She trusts him with her life and her heart because he didn't promise to only protect her physically, he promised to hold her heart and never shatter it. In turn, she will do the same and give him only happiness. Lissa demands her attention interrupting Rose's thoughts.

Feeling her eyes are no longer on him, Dimitri sneaks away from the conversation with the guys and approaches Janine and Abe. Quietly, the three of them sneak out of the apartment and head outside. In the hallway, Dimitri wipes the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. He hadn't realized how many people were in there or how hot it was. Maybe it's not the crowd or the vodka in his glass. It's what he's about to do next that make him a little nervous. Janine and Abe share a look communicating a million messages in a second before turning back to Dimitri fidgeting in front of them.

"I want to take this moment to thank you for giving Rose life," Dimitri begins after taking a deep breath and organizing his thoughts a little. He had been planning this speech for months, but now it's like he's forgotten everything. It doesn't matter anyway. All he has to do is wear his heart on his sleeve. He turns to Janine. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to split up and begin all over again in Boston. I also can't say I'm happy you and Rose suffered, but I am glad you ended up here. I'd like to think that somehow Rose and I would have met anyway. I grew up with my Babushka telling me nothing happens by chance, and I believe Rose and I are meant to be."

"If you're trying to say you want our blessing to propose," Abe interrupts rolling his eyes. "You better get on with it before I get old."

"Ibrahim," Janine chastises elbowing him. "Let Dimitri speak besides you're already old."

Dimitri chuckles. "Yes, I am asking your blessing. I want to propose to Rose. I've wanted to since, well, forever. I didn't want to push her, but I think she might be ready. If anything, I want to give her the option to marry me."

"She knows her options, boy," Abe grunts and tries to keep up the act that this doesn't make him want to tear up. His only daughter about to have a baby and now get married. Time is a bitch moving at its own pace and unforgiving to a father's pain. "I don't think anyone is more deserving of her than you, Belikov. And even if you didn't have my blessing, I'm sure you and Rose would carry on anyway, so I might as well approve."

"I approve too," Janine smiles at Dimitri as she steps forward to hug him. "I'm glad we came here. I'm glad she's found you and you have found her. I believe you two will be very happy."

"Thank you," Dimitri clears his throat. "I guess this goes without saying, but please don't tell Rose yet. I'm looking for the right moment."

Abe scoffs and digs through the pockets in his suit jacket. "What better moment than now?" He pulls a velvet black box and hands it to Dimitri. "It's the engagement ring I gave Janine. You remember, _sevgili_ , when you threw it at my face the night it all went to hell?"

"Yes?" Janine frowns.

"I kept it all these years hoping to either return it to its owner or pass down to Rose. I've been carrying it after that day on the courthouse steps. I could see you two are inseparable, and I knew it would be a matter of time before you asked for our blessing." Abe almost laughs at Dimitri, who stares stunned at the shiny rock in the velvet box. "Go in there and propose to my daughter."

"I can't take this," Dimitri closes the box and extends his hand towards Abe giving back the expensive ring. "I'll buy her one. It might not be as big and expensive as this…"

"It's not about how big or expensive it is," Abe snaps pushing Dimitri's hand away. "It's about love and family. This ring belonged to my grandmother. My grandmother was married to my grandfather for over eighty years. It was a happy marriage. They prospered in Istanbul through it, and she gave it to me before passing. Maybe it wasn't meant for me, maybe it was meant for Rose to bring you luck and happiness. It's a family heirloom, and you'll be dumb to reject it."

Before Dimitri can say anything, the door to the apartment opens abruptly and a commotion is heard inside. Lissa pokes her head out.

"It's happening!" She shrieks her eyes meeting Dimitri's. "The baby is coming!"

"What?" Dimitri shoves the box in his pocket and rushes inside to find Rose gripping the kitchen counter and a pool of water on the floor. "But we still have a few weeks left! How…"

"Gotcha!" Rose throws her head back and laughs. "Pay up, Mase. I told you he would panic."

"I thought Russians were cool," Mason mumbles as he pulls out a hundred out of his wallet and hands it to Rose.

"Look, Comrade," Rose waves the bill in front of Dimitri. "This will go towards our kid's college fund."

"Not funny, Roza," Dimitri shakes his head and wills his heart to calm down. "Don't be the girl who cried wolf."

"This is good. It will prepare you for the real deal." Rose shrugs. "It's like a fire drill except it's a baby drill."

"Speaking of baby," Lissa claps her hands together practically bouncing up and down. "Let's find out the gender of this baby already!"

From the room, Rose and Dimitri bring a couple of carton of eggs. As they give each person an egg, they explain the eggs are filled with pink or blue confetti. The guests are told to crack them open on each other but at the same time. Everyone pairs up and hold the eggs over their heads waiting for the signal. With Rose and Dimitri standing away from the mess, they look into each other's eyes and count to three. On three, the sounds of laughter and shrieks of surprise echo in the room. From behind her, Rose pulls out the socks Yeva knitted revealing pink like the confetti washing over her loved ones.

"Her name is Mila Allegra Belikova," Rose announces once the crowd has calmed down enough.

After the doctor revealed the gender of their baby, Rose and Dimitri each had made a list of names they liked. One night, they pulled out their list and settled the matter once and for all. Dimitri had picked Mila meaning dear one in his native tongue. Rose chose Allegra because of the happiness the baby girl had brought in dark times. Both agreed the name is more than fitting.

"We can't wait for you all to meet our daughter," Dimitri's eyes meet Abe's. Both of them nod in agreement. "And I can't wait to marry her mother."

Rose's eyes widen and her hands cover her mouth in shock as Dimitri kneels in front of her. A collective gasps of surprise echoes in the room as everyone, except Janine and Abe, were not expecting a proposal on top of a gender reveal. Dimitri takes a deep breath feeling all eyes on him and pulls out the velvet box from his pocket. He opens it revealing the huge, blinding, oval shaped ring with a thin band covered by smaller diamonds.

Dimitri clears his throat as he gazes into her tear filled eyes. The nerves make his accent thicker, and if it wasn't for the crowd around her and the seriousness of the moment, Rose would rip Dimitri's clothes off.

"Rose Hathway Mazur, I have loved you for years. And, as impossible as it may sound, I love you more every day. I know I always make promises, and one day I may break them. But I can promise you to love you until there are no more stars in the sky, and to love our daughter for as long as I live and longer. I promise to always take care of you and Mila." He holds her left hand in his as his own eyes glisten with tears of joy and fear. This is the moment he has been waiting for his whole life. If she says no, he'll accept it, but he wants her to say yes. Yes to being his lifelong companion. "Roza, will you marry me?"

Rose wipes her tears with her right hand as a million things go through her mind all of them not as loud as the beating of her heart aching at his words laced with every ounce of his love for her. Even though she's no longer afraid of commitment, she never expected him to propose today of all days. They had spoken of marriage a couple times, and Rose had admitted to wanting it too, she thought it would be years before Dimitri proposed. With the baby coming and school, there is no time to plan a wedding. But did it really matter? Did it matter if Rose has a big wedding the same magnitude as Lissa's will be? Will they be happy enough running to the courthouse tomorrow? Yes. The answer is yes. As long as Rose has Dimitri, it doesn't matter. The white dress. The big hair. The flowers. It didn't matter because the flowers will wilt away, but their love will remain. The dress will be put away, but she will always be his wife.

The fear of failure that ruled most of her life is nothing compared to the joy bursting in her chest as she nods her head. All her fears and insecurities fade away as she's blinded not by the ring he places on her finger, but by his wide smile and the tears running down his cheeks. It is then she realizes that while she had been afraid of letting him in, he has been afraid of being pushed away. As the crowd erupts in applause, and Dimitri embraces her, Rose makes her own promise never to push him away again. Never to doubt their love because there's nothing as strong as it, as strong as they are together. They have proven it time and time again, and they will continue to do so throughout the years to come as husband and wife. As mama and daddy to Mila.

* * *

 _ **And they lived happily ever after...**_

 **AN: So that was the end. I hope I didn't disappoint, and I most certainly hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing. Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me through it. I hope you will give my other story, Cosmic Love, a chance. I'm very excited by it. Speaking of which, don't forget to try and take a second to go to my profile and vote on my poll to change the name of Cosmic Love.**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your time, love and support. I'll always be grateful and deeply humbled by your kind words! I have nothing but love for all my readers whether you're a guest or a member of the site, I appreciate you. Xoxo.**


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